The ensuing days
by Leserei
Summary: Looking for a skip Stephanie finds more than she expected again flinging her into difficult situations with the need to assess exactly who she is.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

SPOV

"What the hell have you gotten yourself into this time Cupcake?"  
His words echoed around the room in the police station where we were stood as he walked up to me, hands on his hips and a frown on his face. Detective Joe Morelli, sometimes boyfriend, had everyone's attention on him and I felt everyone go quiet as they waited for what was going to be said. I didn't know if the heat that crept up my face was from embarrassment or annoyance. I really didn't want to have to explain myself to him, I mean I thought it was pretty obvious and if he couldn't see it then I wasn't about to explain myself to him. I turned around and walked up to Robin who smiled as she handed me my receipt for the man now handcuffed on the bench. I catch people for a living, I'm a Bounty Hunter, so what the hell did he mean by that remark, yeah I know he'd been doing his damnedest to get me to quit but I wasn't going to let that happen, he wasn't going to bully me into his way of thinking, I'd had enough of that. I walked quickly through the door, well as quickly as I could, and made my way to my POS car. I wasn't surprised to find that my partner Lula, had gone, she always hated being anywhere near the police station but to be honest that suited me fine, it meant I could drive straight home and sort myself out from the mess I was in.

My name is Stephanie Plum, I'm a Bounty Hunter for my cousin Vinnie, I was fair skinned, with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes, though I think my nose was probably my best feature. I'd been working hard recently ensuring every skip who came to me was caught and returned to the system. Okay so sometimes the capture didn't always go smoothly but some of the skips I chased would do anything to avoid me including the skip now cuffed inside the police station. As I drove back to my apartment all I could feel all over a lot of my body was an itching and in some cases a sharp prick which I could only describe as being similar to being stabbed with a needle. As I approached the car park outside of my red brick building I felt the need to scratch myself all over but as I got out the car and tried to stand up I felt a dizziness come over me. I couldn't understand why I was feeling this way, maybe an adrenaline rush? Nah, that couldn't be it, maybe it would pass once I was secure inside my apartment. I stumbled into the lobby my legs feeling really wobbly and stood waiting by the side of the lift for the doors to open. Once inside I lent against the cool metal of the walls and then slowly felt myself slide down onto the floor, I felt like being sick and I was aware of my brain slowing down until blackness overtook me.

As I tried to open my eyes I was aware of the coolness around me, had I left my windows open during the night, but then I was looking up at a ceiling that certainly wasn't from inside my apartment. Panic tried to crawl through me, had I been kidnapped, again? The lighting was dim but enough to see what was around me and I'm sure I groaned as I recognized the metal and glass cabinets. Why the hell was I in Bobby's office, or should I say the infirmary at Rangeman, I hadn't been attacked or hurt that I knew of, my last memory was being inside the lift at my apartment. I turned my head and looked to my other side and saw a figure slowly get up from the chair next to me.

"How you feeling Bomber?"  
"Confused, why am I here?"  
"Eddie called me from the station, he was concerned at how you were looking"  
"How am I looking?"  
"You have a lot of stings on you which were hot and red and several stingers were still in your skin"

"The bees"

I said that as I remembered the fight my skip had given me as I tried to bring him in from the allotment garden at the back of his house.

"Yeah, you were stung a lot and reacted badly, Santos found you passed out in the lift"  
"I'm not sure if I've been stung before"

No I'm sure I hadn't because I couldn't recall a time when it had happened.  
"I gave you an epinephrine injection because you were showing signs of an anaphylactic reaction"

"That's not good is it?"  
"No Bomber it isn't, I'm just thankful that Eddie got in touch with us"

I lifted my hands from under the covers surprised to see white cotton mitts on each of them, I looked at them and then at Bobby, yeah he knew I wanted to know why I was wearing them.

"The stings were very itchy and I didn't want you scratching them. Steph you had them in your hair and on your face so we didn't want them getting infected"  
Shit that meant I'd look a mess with red blotches all over me. I rested my head back against the pillow and sighed loudly, I still had one file in my bag and I hadn't even started to look for where he might be let alone do any surveillance.

"What's wrong Bomber?"  
"How long have I been here for?"  
"About 24 hours"  
I know my eyes grew large as he said that, why that long?  
"I couldn't give you too much medication because it's a type of adrenaline and you have a tendency to sleep with that"  
"Thanks Bobby for helping me out"  
"No, Bomber, it was really serious, and I'm just glad we got to you so quickly after Eddie called"

"Do I have to stay here?"  
"A few hours and then you can get up, I'll get Ella to bring down something for you to eat"

I watched as Bobby left the room and then had an urgent need to use the bathroom so carefully pulled down the cover in order to get up, I was surprised when I looked down at the T-shirt I was wearing, it was one of Ranger's, did that mean he was somewhere around? Ranger was the man who owned Rangeman, a high-end security business, and we had a history together. He was taller than me had mocha latte colored skin, dark brown silky hair and eyes that changed from a warm brown to black depending on his mood. We were best friends and occasional lovers, which is where my conflict for him stemmed from. I was sure I felt more than a best friend should feel for him. I gingerly swung my legs over the edge of the bed and tested how my head would feel to me being suddenly upright, no unusual effects so I slowly walked around the bed and into the bathroom. Okay I could hoist up the T-shirt to use the toilet, struggled with the toilet paper and once I'd pushed the flusher I just stood in front of the sink, I couldn't get the mitts off from my hands because someone had fastened them too securely.

"Stephanie, are you okay?"  
I heard Ella outside so opened the door holding my hands up in front of me. She smiled and seemed to understand immediately the dilemma I was facing.

"Let me take those off for you"  
I watched as she loosened the knot and pulled the material from my hands noting a few red marks on the top of my hands and then my eyes looked up each arm finding similar marks, each one looking red and swollen. I turned back and stood in front of the mirror above the sink, the sight that I saw had tears coming to my eyes, shit I looked horrendous, my cheeks and jaw looked swollen and were tinged red giving a grotesque appearance to my face.

"Stephanie it's going down, don't worry about it, give it a couple of days and I'm sure your skin will be back to normal"

"Ella, how can I go anywhere looking like this?"  
"So stay here then until you're ready to leave"  
Yeah, like that was going to happen. I turned, walking past Ella, and got back onto the bed smiling as Ella put a tray on my knee smelling the aroma coming from under the lid. As I lifted the lid I could see Ella's famous chicken noodle soup and fresh bread and a bowl with chocolate cake in it. How good was that?

"I'll be back in a minute"  
I nodded at Ella as she left the room not realizing how hungry I was until I started to eat. By the time Ella came back the bowls were clean and I was slowly sipping on the mug of coffee.

"You can stay up on seven until you're ready leave"

"Is Ranger back?"  
I saw her shake her head and was aware that she felt the same as me, evident on her face was the disappointment and sadness. There was no way I could stay up on seven without Ranger giving his permission, it would feel wrong because it wasn't as if I was in danger and that would be the only way I would stay.

"Thanks Ella, but I couldn't do that, not when he's not here"

He'd been gone for four weeks now and when he came to see me he couldn't say how long he would be away for, but as always he'd found me to let me know. I could never quite work out why that was, maybe to let me know he couldn't help me out.

"I thought you'd say that, though I don't understand why, so I sorted out the spare room in our apartment, I talked to Tank, you can do some work for Rangeman while you're here and Bobby will feel better if he can keep his eye on you"

Could I do that? Maybe I could, after all I'd be able to stay inside and do some searches and also find out about my last skip, not forgetting I'd have access to Ella's cooking.

"Okay I'll do that as long as I'm not putting you out"  
"That's settled then, I'll move some things down from seven for you"

With that Ella left the room and disappeared leaving me still holding the tray with the empty bowls. Now why were there things of mine on seven, okay maybe I'd forgotten a couple of items in the bathroom, but surely not enough for Ella to have kept them. I shrugged that thought off as I placed the tray on the table by the bed and snuggled back down in the sheets feeling comfortable and safe enough to fall asleep.

I spent the next day with Ella in her apartment no way was I stepping foot from the safety of it, I helped her load the trolleys with food and sorted out the returning plates and ended up sleeping a lot. Lester and Bobby came up to see me spending time with me, sat chatting or watching TV. The marks were slowly disappearing and the swelling had gone down so by the third day I felt that I could face the men on five. Lester had a go at me saying that none of them would say anything regardless of how I looked so at 8 in the morning he was waiting outside of Ella's apartment ready to take me down, he felt like my own personal knight in shining armor as we descended in the lift. He was right though, everyone went out of their way to ask how I was and no one stared or made any nasty comments. I felt at home here, like I belonged, but I also knew the feeling of being hemmed in was slowly creeping in. I worked hard that day and finished all the searches in my inbox so decided to take the files down to Tank, he was in charge when Ranger was away. I knocked quietly on his door waiting for an answer almost jumping when he came up behind me, why couldn't these men make some noise.

"What you after Little Girl?"  
"I brought your files"  
"You finished them?"  
"Yeah"  
"Wow, I wish you would work here more often, how about part time, I could really do with the help"  
By now we were inside his office and he'd closed the door behind us, I followed him in and sat in the chair in front of his desk while he went round to the big black leather chair that he used. I placed the files I'd carried onto the desk in front of him but for some reason I felt nervous, I mean I know I'd done some work here before but I felt that only happened when Ranger took pity on me and the last thing I wanted was a job offer because Tank felt sorry for me. I was still thinking about that when Tank broke through my thoughts.

"Steph, did you hear me?"

"I don't know"

"Hell girl you do an amazing job when you're here and it would free up one of the men to do something else"

"I'm not sure I'm that good"

"Stephanie, you are amazing at doing searches"  
"What would I have to do?"  
"How do you mean?"  
"Well are you talking about employment or just casual hours?"  
"Hell I'd give you a contract right now so you'd have access to Rangeman, though you would have to do some training as part of the contract"  
"What sort of training?"

"Gun practice and self defense"  
"You know those might be a problem don't you?"  
"Nah, once you start you'll wonder why you ever avoided it"  
"Who would I have to train with?"  
"How about we start with two hours a week with Ram on the gun range and two hours a week with Hector in the gym?"  
"Hector!"

I mean, don't get me wrong, I liked Hector and I think he liked me, but I wasn't so sure I would live to survive with him in the gym, he was like a ninja, fast and dare I say dirty with his moves.

"He's good, he's also very patient and I think he would teach you the skills you'd use out on the streets with your skips, the other men tend to use more formal fighting methods, well accept Ranger and maybe Santos"

Maybe I could do it; I mean Tank didn't say anything about running did he?

"Okay, how about we have a trial period, at the end if I don't like it or you don't like it we can agree to go back to how we are now"  
"Agreed"  
He almost shouted that at me and had a grin across his face that I don't think I'd seen before, I almost felt like I had been coerced into this and that Tank had got his own way without much of a fight from me.

"If we say you do 20 hours a week then you can choose when to do them, we work seven days a week 24 hours a day but you'll need to arrange the time with Ram and Hector so they can fit around their appointments and rotas, is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, it should be"  
"So if we plan for you to start on Monday I'll get Ram and Hector to organize times directly with you"  
With that said I felt that I was being dismissed, or at least that the whole conversation about a job was over, there was one more question I wanted to ask, well two but I could never ask the second one.

"Tank is it okay to use the search engines for skips, I'll do it outside of the 20 hours?"  
"No problem Little Girl"

I stood up to return to my cubbie and walked along the corridor almost in a daze, hell did that mean I'd have a job with a steady income? I couldn't believe what had just transpired and then thought about Ranger. Would he be mad at what Tank had done, would the job end when he came back home? The thing is I really wanted him back, to be safe and sound, I always worried when he would go in the wind, never knowing when he'd be back or if he'd be hurt. I knew Ranger was a best friend to me, for some reason we seemed to compliment each other. Yeah a strange understanding really and a strange friendship, here I was the white girl from the Burg being close to a man lots of people classed as a thug, even Joe didn't trust him, but trust was something that Ranger and I had in bucket loads, we both trusted each other for so many things. I sighed as I sat down trying to push thoughts of Ranger from my mind, he didn't do relationships whilst I almost couldn't exist without one. I mean the idea of him seeing other women hurt me in ways I couldn't explain but I could understand why he was the way he was, and I could understand his need to have other women, he was amazing to look at and magical in bed but he wasn't mine, I don't he think he was anyone's at I least I hoped not, but that didn't stop me from wishing.

I shook my head to clear those thoughts and pulled the file for my latest FTA from my bag ready to work out who he was and where he might be. Terence Verity aged 35 had made bail after being charged with carrying a concealed weapon but I was surprised at the size of the bail, hell it was almost high enough to have been handed over to Rangeman. As I read through his details though I could see why, whilst he hadn't been charged for anything before, he had been arrested several times, the problem was the charges didn't stick. Missing witnesses, lost evidence and so maybe a lawyer who seemed really good at his job. Strange because I couldn't work out why he hadn't made his court date this time, he'd never been FTA before now. I input his data into the search program, filling in his name, date of birth and id number then hit the return button for it to do it's magic. As I looked up I saw Lester lent against a desk looking over to where I was sat and watched as he pushed himself away from the desk and walked over to me, a large grin across his face.

"I hear you're coming here to work"  
"For the time being, we'll see how it goes"  
"I'm really pleased Beautiful, we always wanted you to work here"  
"Yeah right"  
"I'm serious, you're good at searches and I know Ranger values your help"  
"We'll see"  
"You want any help with the range or in the gym?"  
"I don't think so, Ram and Hector are helping me out"

"How long you gonna stay here for?"  
"I told Ella I'd go back to my apartment tomorrow morning, I need to call in at the Bonds Office and I should probably see my parents"  
"I'll go with you to your apartment and check it out"  
"That's okay you don't need to do that"  
"Yeah I do, your car's still at your apartment"  
I hadn't even thought of that, hell I'd been here three days without wanting to go out, how sad is that. The pinging from my search sounded and as I turned toward it Lester left shouting back at me.

"Let me know when you want to go in the morning"  
I muttered a thank you and returned to doing my search deciding to look into his bank records as well, I was amazed at how much information it gave, hell there were cash withdrawals from all over the place from New York across to San Francisco down to Florida and New Mexico. The money going into the account was random, always cash and again from different places, I was surprised at how many places he'd been but maybe he was one of those men who worked a job and then moved on. I just hoped that he'd stayed in New Jersey, or better still somewhere near Trenton. The address that was last recorded in this search was down in New Mexico but my senses were telling me different, I knew there was something here that would give me somewhere else to look. I knew he'd given an address to the police but it didn't show up here, maybe I needed to find another in case he'd lied to them. Ranger always said follow the money but I usually followed the family so I found the name of his parents and then his grandparents and then looked to see if any of them had lived anywhere local. And there it was, his mother's parents had owned a farm in a place called Montgomery, west of Trenton and the place had stayed in the family. I picked up the file that I'd got from Connie and looked through the address that Connie had given me, according to the information when he was arrested it had him living in a place down by the docks, that was strange but maybe he wasn't officially registered as being there. I decided to print out the search because I felt that if he wasn't easily found I could go back to it to find out more. His police record according to the search was similar to what Connie had given me, petty theft was his starting point and then he moved onto assault, carrying concealed and a note that recorded him as a person of interest for murder. Shit maybe he should be one for Rangeman and maybe if he seemed too violent I would ask Tank for some help, after all Ranger always told me to go to him if I needed to. By the time I finished it was nearly 7 so I put all the papers in the file and headed up to six where Ella and Louis had their apartment, my stomach complained loudly and I realized I'd only been drinking coffee and water for most of the day, it was definitely time for dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I knew Ella was sorry to see me go especially when in the morning she presented me with a breakfast of pancakes and maple syrup.

"You sure you're ready to go?"  
"Yes Ella, I have work to do and people to see"  
"You know you're always welcome here"  
"I know Ella and thank you for taking such good care of me"

"I sent a box with Lester for your apartment, let me know if you need anything else"

"I'll be around more, Tank's asked me to do some work"  
"I know, about time too"  
I have to say I did feel a little sad at leaving but I knew I couldn't stay any longer, every time I walked past Rangers closed office door or looked at the lift where floor seven was written I'd feel melancholy and feelings would rush through me, I needed to get out and about and get my mind onto other things.

True to his word Lester drove me to my apartment carrying with him a large box that I assumed was from Ella. He set it on the floor outside of the door as he went in first and then declared the place safe. As I walked past him through the door carrying the box he kissed my cheek and then was gone, closing the door behind him. I just stood in the hall looking in and tried to get a feel for the place. It felt empty and far too quiet and as I looked at the counter at the empty tank I felt a sudden feeling of loss. Rex my ageless companion had died a couple of weeks ago leaving a big hole in my heart and life. I sighed as I moved into the kitchen area and put the box onto the counter, at least he'd died in his sleep and I felt he'd had a good life, okay he'd had an exciting life living with me what with all the fires and explosions and shootings not forgetting the people who broke in, but he'd always taken it in his stride. Looking through the box I smiled at what Ella had packed, prepared meals with instructions written on them, fresh fruit, milk, cheese and yoghurt and a tin filled with home baked cookies. My fridge was stocked and some went into the freezer so I headed into the bedroom, I couldn't remember changing the bed or putting out clean towels but then frowned as I opened my closet and looked inside. Ella had obviously been here because hung up inside were some new Rangeman uniforms, so maybe she was responsible for the other things as well. I must remember to thank her. Back in the lounge I noticed the light on my phone showing I had messages. I'd been good while at Rangeman and messaged people, my mother, Connie and Mary Lou, that I was working so wouldn't be around so to make my life easier I just deleted all of the messages. After a quick look around I was locking up and heading down to my car praying that it would start. I couldn't believe it when the engine caught so quickly but neither did I remember the gas tank being so full, I always kept it half full dreading the thought of an explosion that would result from anything more. Obviously someone from Rangeman had seen to my car to ensure that it would work, no doubt finding an area free of rust to attach a tracker. I had stopped removing the trackers because to be honest it felt comforting to know that if anything happened someone would check up on me, usually Ranger if he was around, but I wasn't sure whose job that would be now. I managed to park in front of the office so with my bag in my hand opened the door to greet Connie.

"Hi Connie"  
"Steph, how you doing?"  
"Fine, any new files for me?"  
"No, it's real quiet especially with Vinnie away"

"Where's he gone?"  
"Not sure, Lucille wanted him to take her on another cruise"

"He must hate that"  
"Yeah, he won't be able to play around with Lucille close by"  
"I think that's why she does it"  
"So how are you really, I heard you weren't too good after you caught Larry"  
"No I wasn't, but I'm over it now"

No way was I going to tell Connie where I'd been or it would be all over Trenton and I already would have to take a lecture from my mother so no way did I want to give her more fuel for that discussion.

"Okay I still have Verity to find so I'm going to check out some addresses"  
"You not waiting for Lula?"  
"No I don't think she'd appreciate doing surveillance plus she just left me after catching Larry and I could really have done with her help"  
"I see where you're coming from. By the way Morelli's been in asking where you were"  
"Yeah well the way he talked to me at the station I'm not feeling like talking to him"  
"Okay, I'll see you Monday"  
"Bye Connie"

As I walked from the office I felt an arm come round my waist and drag me into the alley, for a brief moment my heart sped up thinking that Ranger was back, but I didn't get the tingle down my neck as I usually would and this person didn't have the smell that I associated with Ranger and when I tried to push them away I saw that it was Joe who had hold of me. As he pushed me against the wall my hands pushed at his chest.

"Pack it in Joe"  
"You let Ranger do this"  
"Joe, let me go"  
"Hey surely your fiancé is allowed to do this"  
"Well as you aren't my fiancé I want you to stop"  
At least he stepped away from me but was still too close for comfort.

"Where the hell have you been Cupcake?"  
"Recovering"  
"With Ranger?"  
"No, he's out of town"  
"So where?"  
"A friend who saw how ill I was after being stung by bees"  
"Yeah right"  
"Joe I reacted badly to the stings, not that you cared"  
"I care, I care enough to tell you to pack in your job and get one that you can actually do"

"Really Joe, or is it that you think I embarrass you?"  
"Well maybe there is that as well"  
I pushed my hands against his chest and as he stumbled backwards made a dash toward the street. I made it as far as the car before he had hold of my arm, squeezing tightly and glaring at me.

"You're hurting me Joe"

He looked down at his hand around my arm and slowly released me.

"I was worried where you were and then when you didn't turn up I got mad with you"

"Joe we haven't spoken properly to each other for weeks"

"I've been busy with work"

Yeah, and if Lula had it right he was also busy trawling some of the bars in Trenton.  
"Joe I can't keep doing this"  
"Doing what?"  
"Fighting with you"  
"So stop fighting me"  
"No Joe, I don't feel that we have enough between us for us to work, I don't think that we work well together because we both want different things, I need a break Joe to really work out how I feel"

I could see him thinking through what I'd said, watching the expressions race across his face, concern but also a hint of being annoyed, maybe he could see what I meant if he really thought it through, I really hoped so, because I didn't think I could carry on with the way things were.

"Okay, I'll play along with what you're saying but I know you'll change your mind, you always do, then we can meet for lunch or maybe watch a ball game"

I let out a sigh as he walked away from the car, in some ways I was aching inside at what I had maybe done. He was handsome and funny and as my Mother would say a good catch. He owned his own house and had a good respectable job but that wasn't enough for me, he constantly belittled me and tried to mold me into someone I wasn't and that for me was the deal breaker, he just didn't love me for who I was and never really supported me. The on and off relationship we had was going nowhere just a spiral that was unhealthy for both of us, plus I didn't feel there was any trust between us and there were times when he felt threatening if he wanted his own way. Yeah maybe we'd be better as friends, without the benefits, because once he got me into bed it was really hard to leave and is that why he just assumed I'd let him back in, was I so predictable and maybe gullible? I got into the car and just sat there thinking through what I was saying to myself, hell was I treating Joe as badly as Ranger treated me, leading him on when I really didn't want a relationship with him, was that what Ranger did with me?

A knock on the window brought me out of my thoughts and there stood looking at me was Lula, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. I wound down the window waiting for her to have a go at me as well.

"Why aint you waitin for me?"

"You weren't here"  
"Well I am now"

"So get in then"  
"I want to go in my car"

"Well I'm driving this car so make up your mind"  
"What the hell's got into you?"

"Lula I'm going to be doing some surveillance so I'm using my car"  
"What's wrong with mine?"  
"It stands out too much"  
"You saying there's something wrong with my car?"  
I squeezed the bridge of my nose trying to calm myself down, how the hell had we ended up arguing on the street, maybe I was still in a mood from Joe, but then I looked again at Lula standing against my car and all I saw was the bright pink hair and her bright yellow boob tube, with her girls bursting to get out, with the bright pink material she called a skirt showing her ass cheeks as she leaned into the car. How the hell could I be inconspicuous with her dressed like that?

"Forget it Lula, I'll catch up with you later when we're not so angry with each other"  
As she stood away from the car I eased down on the accelerator and drove away from the office leaving her there on the sidewalk staring after me. Shit, I knew I did the right thing but why did I feel so bad about doing it. I kept driving until I knew I was out of sight of the office and then pulled up and parked, with my phone in my hand I found her name and texted "Sorry, I need some space, I'll talk with you later"

That done I checked where I was going to find the address for Verity down by the docks. The address I'd got from Connie was actually next to the river, once there I drove past the building and turned round to come back and park, it looked to be a rundown warehouse where someone had tried to convert the building into apartments. I knew there were always businessmen who were looking for a way to make money and a way to get grants, there was a big push to improve areas like these but from the look of the building the work had never been finished. As I sat down and across from it I wondered how much work had been done, whether there were individual apartments inside and whether they had access to water or power. There were a few cars parked outside, most of them in worse condition than mine but no sign of anyone going in or coming out. I settled down in my seat prepared to wait, I knew I didn't have any snacks or drinks but strangely I was all right with that. I suppose the silence would give me time to reflect on my life, sheesh that sounded so grown up and philosophical, but maybe that was how I felt. I thought back to my conversation with Joe and realized that not once had he asked me if I was okay or feeling better, not once had he asked me if he could do something to help or support me. He seemed more concerned that I wasn't with Ranger or someone else, that didn't show that he had any trust in me. How many times had I refused Ranger's advances because I felt guilty about Joe? At least with Ranger I knew he did genuinely care about me, even to love me in his own way, maybe not enough to commit but at least it was more than Joe and with that thought in my mind I wondered if the friendship I had with Ranger was enough for me without a commitment, maybe it could be, but in my heart I knew I loved Ranger and I knew that I wanted someone to love me for who I was and to build a relationship with me that could endure time. I should really spread my sights to other men so then I went through any men I knew well. That was a mistake because the only ones I could come up with were Ranger's men and I didn't see them in that context, I saw them as friends maybe even brothers, how I yearned to feel more but I knew it wasn't an option.

I was brought out of my musings with a jolt when a door banged open at the front of the building I was watching and two men walked out carrying a large box between them, it seemed awkward as they maneuvered it about. I recognized Verity as one of them and wrote down the plate of the car they were loading the box in into my phone. Strange as it seemed heavy and they were real careful with it. It looked to be about three foot long and two foot deep and tall and only just fit into the car with the seats folded down. I couldn't imagine what was inside. I didn't like the look of either of the men so slunk down in my seat to be sure they didn't see me. Both looked to be about the same age. Verity I knew was tall, 6ft6 and 300lbs, from the description in the search. His light brown hair was sticking out from his head that only added to the mad look from his face, thin, maybe even gaunt, with eyes that seemed big. It was the man he was with that made a shudder pass through me. He had dark skin and dark brown hair that touched his collar and eyes that seemed to pierce from a face that was long with a hint that maybe he'd been good looking before he'd acquired a scar that went from the corner of his eye across his cheek. He was as tall as Verity but seemed to be more muscular and to be honest not someone I would want to have to come across. They both wore khaki colored combat trousers and shirts that may have covered up weapons they were carrying. I stayed low in the car glad I wasn't in the Firebird or with Lula, debating whether to follow them or not but the decision was made for me when a large truck came slowly down the road and they swung out before it had reached them. It was an age before I could pull out and there was no sign of where Verity had gone. I really didn't want anything to do with this skip but for some reason I had a compulsion to find out more before I even thought about talking with Tank. I jumped when my phone went off and seeing it was Lula answered, I knew we had to talk and mend some bridges from this morning.

"Hey Lula"  
"I'm sorry girl"  
"It's okay"

"No it aint, Connie told me about the scene with Morelli outside the office"  
"Oh"  
"He don't have no right to treat you like that, you wanna talk about it?"  
Did I, maybe, but like Connie Lula wouldn't keep anything to herself but maybe putting out there my side of what happened may help me.

"Okay, but after I've been to my parents for dinner"  
"You'll need a drink after that, hows about I bring a few beers to your place?"  
"That sounds good, thanks Lula"

A look at my watch told me it was nearly 4 so I decided to head back home and change ready to face what ever my Mother thought she knew.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I'd changed into a denim skirt, flat shoes and a plain red sweater then tying my hair back into a ponytail deemed me fit to visit my parents, I actually felt quite hungry suddenly realizing I'd missed out on lunch again. I arrived just before 6 and walked calmly into the house stopping off to say hi to my Dad.

"Hey Dad"  
"Pumpkin, are you okay now?"  
"Err, yeah, what had you heard?"  
"Eddie asked how you were doing and told me about you going into the station covered in stings"  
"I reacted badly so stayed inside for a day or two"

"Probably for the best, your Mother's annoyed though so be prepared"  
"Thanks Dad"

That small conversation lifted my mood, he'd said more to me in those few minutes than he'd spoken for the last six months. I walked into the dining room and through to the kitchen to find my mother taking a chicken out from the oven.

"Hi Mum"  
She didn't respond as she continued to move the chicken to a serving plate and proceeded to hand it to me.

"Put this on the table and get your father"  
She followed me through and set out four places at the table and disappeared back into the kitchen so I called my Dad through for dinner. As there were four places set at the table so I assumed Grandma was somewhere in the house.

"You want me to go get Grandma?"  
Again no response so I sat down at my usual place feeling the bad vibes from my mother as she came and sat down as well. There was silence as we all helped ourselves to the food and just as I was about to put a forkful of chicken in my mouth the front door opened and in walked Joe. I carried on eating trying real hard to just ignore him.

"Cupcake your mother said you needed to talk with me"

He sat at the fourth place and helped himself to food as though he had a right to be here.

I looked at my Mother and then at Joe not really sure who to be annoyed with, my Mother I suppose as it seemed she had called Joe to come over.

"I think I made it clear this morning Joe, I need time to think things through"

I heard my Mother tutting before she said anything.  
"Nonsense Stephanie, what is there to think about?"  
"A lot Mum"  
"Joseph wants to marry you, why wait?"  
"Maybe because I don't want to get married"  
"Stephanie Michelle Plum, get your head out of the sand. He can give you a nice home, and enough money so you can give up that terrible job"  
I was now sat looking down at my plate, my appetite suddenly gone, why the hell did she have to be constantly trying to run my life.

"I hear you got stung badly and looked an awful mess"

"Yes, I also reacted to them"  
"Well then that says you're not suited to the job then"  
I thought through what she'd just said, I mean Larry was quite a high bond for me, he'd been charged with assaulting his girlfriend and her little girl and I actually felt pleased that I'd got him off the streets. Okay maybe things went a bit wrong when I'd tracked him down but how was I to know he'd pick up that box and throw it at me, I only realized that it was a beehive when I ran after him with things buzzing around me, but I caught him, maybe by throwing myself round his thighs and he'd been so terrified of the bees he hadn't noticed me fastening the cuffs around his wrists. Lula had driven the car to where we were and helped hoist him inside and once we were driving with all of the windows open the bees soon disappeared.

"What will the neighbors say to you chasing a man being followed by bees"  
"Hopefully they'll be pleased I got a woman and child beater off the streets"  
I think, no I knew, I was beginning to get annoyed.

"And where have you been, Joseph couldn't find you"  
"Well maybe instead of shouting at me at the station he could have helped me get some medical assistance"  
"Nonsense, they were just bee stings. Why me, why do I have a daughter that makes a scene about everything?"

"Ellen, Steven's son ended up in hospital after being stung by a bee and it was only one sting. Steph was really ill and I'm just glad someone like Eddie had the sense to call for some help for her"  
I watched amazed as my Dad spoke up and as he blatantly looked at Joe, yeah my Dad understood that he'd done nothing to help me.

"Eat your food Stephanie and then we can start to plan the wedding with Joseph"

"Back off Ellen, keep out of it, it's Steph decision to make not yours, look at the whole mess it caused when you pushed her to marry that Dick"  
"That was her fault, she just needed to keep him happy and look the other way"  
"Oh, so I can go out and find me a mistress can I?"  
Everyone looked at my father as he made that statement, my mother's eyes were wide and her mouth was open, she stuttered something and knocked back the full glass of iced tea in front of her.

"Yeah, something to think about Ellen"

I stood up from the table and picked up my bag, bending down to kiss my Dad on the cheek.

"Thanks Dad"  
"Anytime Pumpkin, things have to change with how she treats you and I'll do my best to make it happen"  
As I made for the door I turned to see my mother with a bottle in her hand not even disguising her need to drink.

"Cupcake I'll walk you to your car"  
I knew I couldn't stop him so resigned myself to another argument with him.

It was just after 7 when I returned to my apartment and I didn't know whether to be upset or angry, as I had expected dinner at my parents had moved from an inquisition to a lecture, laced with a few "why me" and "what will the neighbors think". I was so wrapped up in remembering I didn't even notice that Lula was there until I saw that she was stood by my car door, obviously waiting for me to get out. I gave her a forced smile and locked the car and led her to the lift, we rode in silence, which suited me fine, and went into my apartment.

"Seems quiet without Rex in here"  
"Yeah I know but I don't think I want to replace him, it would seem too weird"  
"I gets what you're saying, you won't get one with his disposition"

We each grabbed a bottle from the bag Lula had carried in and I found some cheese doodles from the cupboard then sat down on the couch.

"I've made a mess of things haven't I?"  
I turned to look at Lula as she said that quietly, she looked so forlorn sat next to me, how could I stay mad at her for long, but maybe we did need to clear the air.

"I was mad at you for leaving me at the police station, I could have really used your help"

"But you had Larry under control"  
"Not that, I was really ill when I came out and you'd gone"  
"Ah shit, I never thought, you know I hate being there, what the hell was up with you?"  
"I reacted badly to the stings and ended up at Rangeman with Bobby sorting me out"  
"Batman's back?"  
"No. Then Joe turned up this morning so I wasn't ready to talk to you"

"I heard he grabbed you, what was that about?"  
"I can't carry on with him, he's just so selfish"  
"But he's hot and I'm betting good in bed"  
"Maybe, but that's not enough for me, so I told him I needed a break to think things through"  
"So you thought it through yet?"  
"Yeah, I won't go back to him""

"I take it dinner didn't go down well either?"

"My Mum called Joe to come round but you know what Lula, even though my Mum thought she had everything in her control my Dad talked to her, and he was on my side"  
"Wow, your Dad's usually just so, I don't know, there, he never says anything"  
"Well he knew what to say to shut her up"  
"Good for him, so what about Morelli?"  
"He followed me out to my car"  
"Ah shit girl, I'm sorry"

"No we sat on the curb and I tried to talk to him. He said he was sorry that he'd turned up, said my Mum had called him and said I'd decided to marry him, he said he wouldn't have come otherwise"

"So are you two together or not?"  
"No, he did apologize for how he treated me but I'm sure it was only because Eddie and Robin had a go at him at the station"  
"So's you's on an off patch?"  
"No, I've done a lot of thinking about the two of us and I now know there's no way I'm falling back into a relationship with him, I'd like to stay friends with him but I think he still thinks we'll get back together"  
"Wow, so you're single again, unless of course Batman makes a move"  
"Nah, that's not his thing plus he's out of town"  
"I aint heard of no government coups happening"  
"Yeah right"  
Though I often wondered what it was that he actually did, he never said and I never asked not that he'd tell me, he was closed off even from me about anything personal, well about everything really, if I didn't need to know he wouldn't tell me.

"We good girl?"  
"Yeah we're good"

"I forgot Connie gave me another file, just a low bond, some old fella who got mad at the grocery store"  
I took the file and placed it on the table, feeling a bit iffy as I opened my third bottle of beer. We chatted for about another hour about nothing in particular and then I suggested she left as I was feeling really tired and yeah possibly a bit drunk from the beer. As it was the weekend we agreed we'd see each on Monday so as I locked the door behind her, I felt so much more settled and relieved at how the day had finished. I decided to shower in the morning so taking my phone with me I changed into sleepwear and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

My phone woke me the next morning though I was too slow to get to it before it went silent and then heard as a text arrive. Ram, oh god, he'd booked range time for 10 this morning and reminded me to bring my gun and bullets. Hell I'm sure Tank said to start the job on Monday. It was only eight and I suddenly felt really hungry so after a visit to the bathroom went in search of something to eat. I silently thanked Ella as I sat down to toast and jam, then filled a bowl with granola and yoghurt. It was actually nice and I decided maybe something like this for breakfast would set me up for the day. Showered and moisturized I went to the closet to find clothes to wear. The marks from the bee stings had just about faded but I decided that a Rangeman uniform was probably the best thing to wear. I retrieved my gun and what bullets I could find from my bedside table and then was on my way to Rangeman. I waved to the camera in the underground garage and made my way to the door at the back, I knew this was where the gun range was as I'd been here with Ranger before. Ram was already there and smiled as I went in, stood with a variety of guns in front of him.

"Hey Steph, thought you could try out some different guns and see which one you felt most comfortable with"

I didn't think I'd feel comfortable with any of them but wasn't going to say that, so just stood quietly watching him.  
"Try these in your hand and say which one feels the best"  
I picked up four guns all together, plus the one I'd brought with me but really thinking about it I went with the Sig P238, it felt comfortable in my hand, but not too flimsy, it held six bullets in the magazine and after practicing with Ram I found it easy to reload.

"Okay let's have you shooting"  
This was the part I hated the most, though with Ram standing behind me and adjusting my position and how I held the gun I did feel more confident. Maybe when I'd done this with Ranger I was too aware of how close to me he was or that by trying too hard I'd fail abysmally. I fired six shots into the target and watched as Ram brought it in, wow, I'd actually managed to get all six shots in the paper, well all right they were nowhere near the middle.

"That's good Steph, better than I thought you'd be, with enough practice you'll be a good shot"

"Maybe but I still don't like the idea of pointing it at anyone"  
"No one does Steph and we only shoot if we don't have any other choice"  
I hadn't really thought about that with the men I worked with, I knew I had shot people and had killed them and that made me feel sick to my stomach but I suppose had I not shot them they would have shot and killed me. I continued to practice firing at the target until it became obvious the shots were getting worse, my arms were aching and Ram at last decided the session was finished. I left the range with a loaded gun and a spare magazine both sat in the bottom of my bag.

"Steph I'll sort out a holster, thigh or shoulder or should I get both?"  
"I, err, don't have a permit to carry concealed"  
"Tank's sorting that out"  
"Oh"

"Is this time okay for you each week?"  
"Yes"  
"Maybe you can come down in between to practice"  
"Maybe"

He laughed as I walked away and returned to the garage only to find Hector lent against my car. Now I did feel nervous as he watched me approach him but then he gave me a brilliant smile, what was that all about, he never smiled at anyone.

"Estefania I'm really happy to train. 1000hrs tomorrow in gym"  
Okay I could go with that, it gave me the rest of the day to myself and didn't interfere with picking up skips, it was a Sunday so that could work. I headed back home to change my clothes and then decided to do some more surveillance outside of that warehouse building from yesterday, I really just wanted to find Verity on his own. I took some fruit with me this time telling myself it would need to be eaten before it went off and was settled once again down the street from the place. After two hours of not seeing anyone go in or out I'd had enough and needed a bathroom. Once home I was stood in the kitchen trying to decide what to do, now that Joe and I were no longer an item I felt that I had time on my hands. I decided to leave the file Lula had brought me and follow that up with Lula on Monday, it was one she could help with and at least I wouldn't upset her again. That decided I looked through the search I had run on Verity at Rangeman and on an impulse decided to find the farm that was listed. I pulled up Google maps and found where I needed to be, it was actually north of Montgomery and seemed to be in the middle of fields with a large wooded area to the side. Maybe the wooded area could give me some cover to be able to see across to the farm. It was just over 20 miles and should take maybe 40 minutes to get there but I planned my route out carefully because I so did not want to be seen trying to find my around looking as though I were lost. I found a track; well it looked like a track heading into the woods so I decided that was a good place to start. Wearing jeans and cat boots and a warm sweater, all black of course, I packed a rucksack with my binoculars and camera, water and some tasty cakes, I had my phone, gun and cuffs just in case, then with my keys in my hand headed down to my car. It was only mid afternoon as I pulled off Armwell Road onto the track I was looking for, the going was tough on my poor car as I drove down the single track and I actually worried how I was going to get out of here, the track had trees and bushes growing along the edge with no where that I could turn around in. I kept going watching my phone and the blue mark that gave my location, of course according to the map I was in the middle of trees with no evidence of a road or track. Just as I thought I really was going to get stuck the track veered to the right and I found myself in an open space in front of a small cabin. As I turned off the engine I wracked my brains for an excuse to say as to why I was here. Maybe saying I'd taken a wrong turn would be enough if someone came out and started to ask why I was there. After several minutes of waiting I couldn't see any sign of anyone so carefully got out of the car leaving my bag inside but with my hand inside my pocket on the gun I walked up onto a rickety porch and stood in front of a door that had seen better times. All I could hear was the thudding of my heart as I tentatively waited and got a shock when I knocked on the door and it swung open. It was fairly light inside and I immediately sensed that there was nobody here, the state of the place confirmed that. A step inside showed an old couch that had maybe been red when new but now was an orangey color and covered in dirt. The floors surprisingly were in good condition made from planks of wood. Over to my left were the remains of what might have been a kitchen, cupboards with no doors stood empty and a tap stood over an old metal sink. Two doorways led from opposite where I was stood, only one had a door and I could see through into another room where an old mattress lay on the floor along with a dirty blue rug on the floor. I walked across the room and timidly pushed open the other door seeing only pipes that had been cut away, obviously where a bathroom had been. I walked back into the main room and looked out of the window amazed at the view I had, through the branches of trees in plain sight was the farm I had been looking for. For some reason I felt quite nervous and reacted by squatting down, okay I knew the farm was maybe half a mile away through the trees and across a field, but for some reason I could almost feel that someone knew I was here. Ducking under the window I returned to my car and decided to turn it around and move it away from the house, the idea that someone might hear it worried me, so I moved it 100 feet down the track before returning to the cabin. I grabbed my bag from the car and crept to the edge of the cleared area in front of the house and waited. Okay there didn't seem to be anyone here so went back into the cabin. Kneeling in front of the window using the binoculars I got my first close up view of the farm. I was surprised at how rundown the place was, I mean land for building was always being bought up for executive detached houses, in fact the whole place looked derelict, as though no one had lived here for years. Maybe that's why Verity might use this place, to cover his tracks, knowing that no one would be living here. Knowing it was a long shot that he might turn up I waited and watched, taking photographs and using the binoculars, the water was gone along with the tasty cakes. I had to get up every so often to stretch and hadn't kept an eye on the time, when lights appeared in the distance I realized that the day was ending. I watched as the lights turned and seemed to go up and down recognizing them as lights from a vehicle following a road. The car stopped and as I watched carefully through the binoculars I'm sure the two people who got out were Verity and his friend. Bingo I'd found him again, but now what should I do, I really needed a place where only Verity would be, the idea of running into his friend gave me the shudders, I kept watching as the lights in the car turned off and each man took out a flashlight and then they seemed to disappear. No other lights came on in the house so I didn't think they'd gone in there then I suddenly caught a flash of light high up above the level of the house but on the other side. What the hell were they doing and where were they, I didn't want to look at the photos I'd taken because of the light it would make, so watched as their light wavered about and then realized they were moving down behind the house and out of view. I was really surprised when all they did was return to their car, turn it around and leave. What was that all about? I waited another hour and then decided they weren't coming back, tidying my things back into my bag I left the cabin and walked back to my car. Thank goodness the light from the moon gave me something to see with because I'm sure I would have freaked out without it. And to be honest I was already getting anxious what with the noises coming out from the trees and wood and not being able to see where I was walking properly.

I was so relieved to get back in my apartment, but at the same time felt like I was onto something with Verity but there were two problems as I thought about it, one was how to catch him when he was on his own and the other, so sue me, I was really curious as to what the hell they were doing at that farm. I showered and changed into sleep wear and chose one of Ella's lasagne to go into the microwave so while that was heating up I took my camera from my bag and uploaded the photos onto my laptop. As I sat and ate at the table I flicked through the photos that I had taken, not brilliant because of how far away it was but it did qualify what I had first thought, the place was derelict, broken windows and peeling paint with plants growing out of the roof and walls. The yard in front was just as bad, muddy and full of rubbish and parts that seemed to come from machinery but what really interested me was what was behind the house. It looked almost like an alien space ship, light reflecting from the shiny metal surface and it seemed to come up in a cone shape at the top. I had no idea what it was and ended up putting in a search for farm buildings looking through images as they came up. At last I found something that resembled it, it was a grain storage chamber, now I could understand them needing that if there was grain being grown, but what the hell was a man doing up at the top. I looked through several diagrams to work out that the grain went in through the top and ran down the sloping sides through flaps and then into the main body of the chamber, though there were different models and types I had no idea which it was and judging by the age of the farm I'd say it was an old style. I gave up trying to work it out and tidying away made my way into my bedroom; tomorrow I could go back and check it out.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I was flat on my back on the mats looking up into Hector's face, he wasn't smiling but maybe that was my fault. He'd been teaching me how to get free when people grabbed hold of me, from in front and behind and to be fair he went through it in slow motion first then speeded the movement up. Somehow, and I really didn't know how, as I used the move to free myself from a hold behind me I'd ended up throwing him part over my shoulder and part over my hip. He'd landed hard and I suppose gone into reflex mode because the next thing I knew it was me on my back with Hector kneeling on either side of me.

"Estefania are you okay, I didn't hurt you did I?"  
"No, I totally missed what you did though"  
He pulled me up and made sure I could stand, then he gave me a smile.

"If you can do that move again then you have nothing to worry about"  
"Okay, how about we go through those moves to get out of someone grabbing my arm?"  
I pulled my sleeves up and then watched as Hector looked at my arm, following his gaze to a band of bruises on my arm.

"How"  
"Misunderstanding, it's nothing, all sorted out"  
I really didn't want Hector to go after Joe, because I'm sure Joe would be mortified if he saw what he'd done, at least I hoped he would, but then again maybe not, he'd just say it was my own fault. I actually had fun with Hector and felt like I'd learnt something even though I was really hot and sweaty afterwards.

"You did well Estefania"  
"Yeah, I think I'm getting there. Can we maybe look at getting out of handcuffs and locks tomorrow?"  
"Si, but will have to be early, 0800hrs"  
I nodded my head, I could do that, after all I was going to bed early so maybe I needed to start the day early as well. I went straight home from the gym and showered because I was keen to get back to the farm and have a nosey round, I'd thought about going when it was dark so I would know if anyone were coming but decided I didn't like that idea at all. So by lunchtime I was back at the cabin with my rucksack, my car was parked down the track and I was ready to walk across to the farm. I'd watched for a while and hadn't seen anything so felt reasonably confident they wouldn't turn up until later this evening as it was going dark. I kept to the outside of the field so I wouldn't leave an obvious pathway and came onto the road that led into the farm. For some reason I was drawn to the back of the house and where that storage unit was. All was quiet and the house seemed empty, looking through the windows I passed showed empty rooms, so I felt quite confident as I approached it. It was tall, maybe a few feet taller than the house and looked to be made from metal, metal that looked to have seen better days as there were streaks of rust running down where the seams of metal joined. As I approached I stopped in my tracks and ducked low to the floor as a strange sound reached me. It was a regular banging noise and seemed to be coming from inside the unit. It wasn't a metallic sound like from a machine; it was a low dull rhythmic sound. As I carefully got nearer it suddenly stopped which had me just as worried as the sound itself. Why had it suddenly stopped? I got the strangest feeling running through me, one I couldn't place so crept up closer to the metallic side and slowly walked around it. I found the ladder going up to the top but I also found a door near the bottom, of course it looked sealed and was secured with a padlock. As I leant into the door I jumped back as I suddenly recognized a sound coming from inside. Breathing, I'm sure it sounded like something breathing heavily, what else could make that noise? I felt spooked and I thought that I'd seen and heard enough for now and decided it was definitely time to go, and so was just passing from the side of the unit to an old wooden barn when I heard talking. Shit they'd come back and I hadn't even heard the car, how stupid was that, talk about not being aware of my surroundings. My heart was racing as I frantically looked for somewhere to hide. An old tractor made for a good hiding and viewing place so tucked between the large wheel and the wall of the barn I waited to see what would happen.

"Here it's your turn to take it up"  
"How long we doing this for?"  
"Another day and then we'll be in the clear"  
"You think they'll fall for it?"  
"Oh yeah, as a distraction it's brilliant"  
"You're only saying that because you thought of it"

"Yeah well we need to collect the merchandise and then get out of here free and clear to finish the deal"

"Aint we supposed to meet up with the boss?"

"Yeah, but we got time to do what we need to do and then get to the meet"

"I'm glad it's your turn tomorrow then, 'cos I aint hoisting explosives up there"

"Piece of cake and then when they find that evidence we'll be elsewhere and no one will be the wiser"

"You think the boss will be pleased?"

"Yeah, why not if it gets rid of a problem"  
I watched as Verity climbed up the ladder, being careful to stay out of sight and saw as he opened the top and pulled up a small door, then he dropped a paper bag inside before he closed the door and relocked it. I could hear the bag dropping down the side but I'm sure I didn't hear it land. My attention was diverted as Verity came back down the ladder and they started to walk away, now what, would they stay around or leave like they had done yesterday. I really didn't want to leave this safe hiding place but I knew I had to at some stage, I gave myself ten minutes before I would move, keeping a constant look out for the two men and listening for the sound of an engine. After ten minutes, okay maybe it was only nine I needed to move so slowly got up and went back to the side of the unit, as I passed the door I felt that strange feeling inside of me but now wasn't the time to start to delve into that, as long as my nerves were quiet I was happy. When I came to the front of the farmhouse there was no sign of the car so I slowly made my way back across the fields and toward the cabin. Once there I felt myself relax, hell that had been a close call. I was pleased that it was still light and I could collect all my things before heading down the track toward where I had parked my car.

I was sure glad to be home, locked inside the apartment with the lights on, there was something really weird going on at that farm and the feelings going through me were creeping me out. I noticed the light flashing on the phone and automatically pressed the button to hear it. I stopped still as the voice of Morelli filled the room.

"Cupcake you've had your little fun, it's time for you to rethink what you said and get in touch with me, now"

I sat down as I heard what he'd said, could I stay away from him, I knew I had to, I knew I had to find the strength to be true to myself and not let him try to run my life, or change it to suit his own needs. I deleted the message almost as if I could delete what I'd heard, denial was a good place to go as I readied for bed, besides I had other important things to think about.

By 6 in the morning I decided I might as well get up, I'd been plagued with the weirdest dreams and all because of that dam granary unit. I had memories from it flying through the air to aliens coming from the door and each time Verity and his friend were stood there taking photos and laughing. Then there were the sounds, the pounding and the breathing which to be honest had scared the crap out of me so much I had woken up in a cold sweat. Once showered and full of granola and yoghurt I made my way to Rangeman, I would start on some searches and then meet with Hector for my lesson on picking locks. I waved to the camera and went up to five finding only a few searches in my inbox, and they were for men who had applied to do contract work. Two seemed to be straight forward, men who had recently retired from the army and were looking for a way to make it in the civilian world. Both had excellent records and the searches confirmed what they'd written, it was the third one, Jeremy Nolan, that had my senses humming but the initial search didn't give anything away. I printed out the searches to come back to and then left them on my desk as I went down to find Hector.

"Estefania"  
I found him in the garage stood by my car, I wasn't sure whether he was waiting for me or had just arrived.

"Morning Hector, where are we working?"  
"Small room by gun range"

I followed him through the door and down a corridor and waited while he unlocked a door I hadn't seen before and then stood mesmerized as I stared at the number of safes and locks spread around the room, there were even doors on the walls all with different looking locks on them.

"Can you open all of these?"  
"Si"  
"Wow, can all the men do it?"  
"Non, maybe Ranger and Santos but when a new lock or safe comes onto the market I make sure we have one here to practice on"  
"So how does Ranger unfasten my door chain?"  
He smiled as he whispered "Magic"

Yeah, he was, but not in the way Hector thought.

"Okay we start with handcuffs, I have special tool kit just for you but for handcuffs you need to have something on you all the time, somewhere you can get to it, like on your belt or in your shoe"  
He fastened one cuff around my left wrist and using a small piece of metal showed me how to do it.

"You need to feel the metal in the lock and feel how it moves around"  
It took for ever to eventually unlock it but once I felt the way the metal felt in the lock I knew what he meant. He changed the cuffs to my other wrist and then had them fastened together. Eventually he fastened the cuffs behind me and I knew I had to be able to undo these, because that was normally how I found myself fastened up. It took an age to do and was really awkward especially when I kept dropping the piece of metal but I felt elated when they eventually came undone. As I looked around I could see a variety of padlocks and picked one up that was similar to the one on the door of the grain storage.

"Hector how do you open something like this?"  
He gave it a look and opened my new tool kit taking out something that had the look of a key but it was in two halves that you could move separately almost like a pair of scissors. I watched as he inserted the tool and as he moved it around, opening the end to expand the pieces of metal inside and then with a turn the bolt fell open.

"Take it and practice with your tools, remember to feel with the tool"  
"Thank you Hector"  
"De nada, same time Friday?"  
"Yes, in the gym?"  
He nodded as he guided me from the room and locked the door. Once back on five and feeling the kick from a coffee I sat back down and looked at that last search again, comparing it against his application. Something was wrong and as I read further I noticed that the dates for leaving the navy weren't quite right on the application, almost as if he'd been making a guess and the dates for living with his parents seemed odd. I used his middle name on a search, Martin, and waited pleased when someone came up, and would you believe that this man had a record with the army for assaulting a senior officer, he was asked to leave before they proceeded with a court marshal. I put a big red cross across his application and walked along the corridor to Tank's office noticing the door was already open and Tank was sat behind his desk.

"Little Girl, you got here early, everything okay?"  
"One of the applications is bogus Tank, not who you think he is"  
"How?"  
"He found someone with a similar name and used his information and background"  
"Shit, I thought he was too good to be true"  
"Tank, could you maybe have a photo of any applicants and add it to the application, that would make it quicker to see something like this, I can check the photo against the photo from the search"

"Fair point, I can see how it would help, yeah I'll change the application to have it added on"  
"Okay, I'm heading to the office and then I have some old man to bring in"  
"Take care Little Girl"  
"Will do, I'll be in early in the morning again"  
Yeah I know that shocked him so on that note I left his office and went back to collect my bag, as I passed Ranger's office I felt like sighing but instead I got a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach, now what was that all about, I just hoped that he was all right. I slipped a baggy blue sweater over my Rangeman top, I didn't want to waste time going home to change so headed straight down Hamilton Avenue managing to find a parking spot in front of the office, maybe today would be a good day.

"We gonna get that last skip white girl?"  
"Sure are Lula, we taking your car?"  
"Yeah, I'm thinking this will be easy"  
I would never think that, just because this guy was old didn't mean he would come easily. I directed Lula to an apartment block not far from where mine was, telling her to park at the back. Once out of the car I showed Lula a photo of who we were going after and then nudged her arm and looked to the back door. There was our skip coming out of the door with a younger man. I saw Lula put her hand in her bag and raised my eyebrows at her.

"No Lula, we have a witness don't even think of getting your gun out"

"I weren't gonna shoot him, maybe just frighten him"  
I walked over to the two men and intercepted them as they headed toward a car.

"Mr Caulfield?"  
They both looked up at me and answered yes. I looked at the elderly man as it was him who we needed to take in.

"I represent your Bail Bonds Vincent Plum, you missed your court date so I'm here to help you reschedule your court date"

I had been so focused on the old man I didn't even see the younger one move until arms came around me and I heard

"Run Dad, I'll hold her here"

This was so not going to happen, I used the move that Hector had taught me, sweeping my arms up and over my head, when he made to grab me again I remembered how I had thrown Hector so put that move into practice, watching as he sailed over my head and landed on his back knocking the wind out of him. Lula was already chasing old Mr Caulfield but I soon caught her up and even overtook her taking a leap and grabbing Mr Caulfield around his hips and bringing him down amazed at how fast the old man had moved. With a knee on his back I soon had the cuffs secured around his wrists.

"Hell girl, you did that well, have you been learning some new tricks?"  
"Something like that"  
I pulled him to his feet and taking one arm while Lula held the other we led him to Lula's car and put him in the back seat. The trip to the station went quietly, I felt good about what I'd done and then wondered why the hell I had avoided training with Ranger, hell my job would have been so much easier if I'd only listened to him. Once parked up I reached over and removed the keys from the ignition, there was no way Lula was leaving me stranded here.

"I weren't gonna leave"  
"Well now you can't"  
"Humph"

I walked Mr Caulfield to the desk, fastening him to the bar as he sat down and then waited for my receipt. I was out quickly, I so did not want to bump into Joe, I was pleased to see Lula still sat in the car so passed her the keys as I got in. Once back at the office we went inside to find Connie applying a coat of bright pink nail varnish this time, that must mean we were quiet with no new skips coming in, but I had to ask so I handed her my receipt and remained stood in front of her.

"Any new files Connie?"  
"Nah, maybe by the end of day, Vinnie should be back tomorrow"  
"Okay I'm heading out, I'll see you two tomorrow"  
"Don't you fancy going to the mall?"  
"Sorry Lula, I have something important to do this afternoon"

I didn't wait for her to reply nor did I want her coming with me, I knew where I wanted to be this afternoon, whether it was a good thing to be there I didn't know but I felt if I didn't go something bad was going to happen.

When I reached the cabin and looked through the window all seemed to be quiet, I knew I was here earlier than yesterday but I had a desperate need to be over at the farm now, I don't know where that feeling had come from or what I expected to happen I just knew I had to unlock that door at the bottom of the granary unit. I had no desire to go in, not after the dreams I'd had last night, but whatever was in there deserved a chance, deserved to live and not to be blown up. I made sure my gun was tucked into the waist of my trousers, my phone, on silent was in one pocket and my tool kit from Hector was in the other then made my way through the trees and round the field. I took in some deep breaths to settle my nerves, hell why was I doing this, maybe my Mum and Morelli were right; I was reckless and didn't think which is why I was bad at my job. As I thought of Morelli I thought of Ranger, he'd tell me to follow my instincts, so with the image of him in my mind I resolved to do what I came here for. As I came closer to the farm I had an unsettling thought that it was a person not an animal inside of there and if Verity was a bad guy which I knew he was then maybe it was a good guy in there, hell I sure hoped so. As I carefully rounded the field I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, no cars or sounds were evident but this time I really needed to be more aware of my surroundings. I went straight to the large metal unit and stopped suddenly holding my breath, there was that feeling again, as if someone was trying to reach me, it wasn't a feeling that scared me which did surprise me, it was like when I knew someone was there, but fainter as though the whole structure was distorting the signal. I sat down on a step next to the door and took out my new tool kit, I hadn't had time to practice and was relying on gut instinct, had I stopped to practice I felt I would have been too late coming here. I closed my eyes, focusing as I felt the tool gliding around the inside of the lock, how long it took I don't know, but I felt when the pieces were in the right place, I opened the pincers and turned the metal smiling to myself when the lock opened. I pulled it through the two metal loops and then placed it on the step next to me and then as I stepped off onto the ground I pulled it open a fraction. I was still worried about what might be inside of there so immediately turned and headed back the way I had come. No way did I want to know what was inside of that unit, I was almost running round the field and it was then that I heard the sound of a car, they were earlier again, oh god I hope whoever or whatever was in that unit got out. I dropped to the floor afraid I would be seen and started to crawl forward on my hands and knees, not very easy and definitely not elegant but I was feeling a surge of panic creep up on me. What if they noticed that someone had opened that padlock, would they try to find me, of course they would and if someone came out of there they would definitely try to find them. I didn't dare stand up and walk even when I reached the trees, even when I approached the door to the cabin, I knew it had taken me ages to get back here but so far I couldn't hear anyone behind me, now I slowly stood up in order to open the door, I needed to go inside because my bag was there with my keys inside. My heart was hammering inside my chest, I needed to get out of here as soon as possible. As I walked in through the door suddenly I felt an arm go around my waist and a hand was clamped tight across my mouth. I tried to fight them off but as I felt myself being lifted into the cabin then being dragged across the room their hold on me tightened. My chest was being squeezed and I couldn't breathe, I was in full panic mode by now and my body did what it always does when that happened, my mind shut down and a blackness engulfed me as my body gave out underneath me.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I couldn't work out where I was, it was weird because I could feel a rocking motion and as my body began to wake up I could feel something wrapped around me. There was something holding me still, and I felt something move through my hair, dear god what had hold of me, what was holding me? Then as I focused I realized that it wasn't a something, I wasn't tied up, it was a someone holding me to them and that's when I started to panic again.

"Shush Babe, it's okay, no one's going to hurt you"  
Did the man's voice say Babe? There was only one person who ever used that name for me.

"Are you going to open your eyes for me Babe?"  
Ranger, what the hell was he doing here, had he got back and come to find me, but why, how was he here, surely he couldn't know what I was up to? I slowly opened my eyes and looked into the deep brown eyes of Ranger, something was wrong though and I leaned away to take a good look at his face. He had dirt all over it and his hair looked longer and dare I say dirty, and he looked as though he hadn't shaved for a long time.

"How are you here?"  
"Because of you"  
My heart fell as I thought of him chasing from Trenton to come save me.

"I'm sorry"

"What are you sorry for?"  
"I didn't mean to drag you all the way here"  
"Babe, I'm only alive because of you"  
"Me?"  
"You opened the door to that dam place and gave me a way to escape"  
"It was you in there?"  
"Yes, I have never been anywhere I couldn't escape from, but that place was impossible even for me"  
"You were locked inside?"  
"Yes, and you were the one to open the door, you have literally saved my life"  
I didn't know what to say to that, I mean I knew I felt a compulsion to open that dam door and thinking about it I did get a strange feeling when I was close to it.

"Are you okay Babe?"  
"Yeah, just shocked at you being here"  
"I'm sorry if I hurt you, I needed us to be safely inside so I didn't realize how tightly I was holding you"

"Do they know you escaped?"  
"I don't think so, I relocked the padlock and hid from view"  
"Did they blow it up?"  
"They dropped explosives inside which when it blew severely damaged the structure"  
"So they didn't hang around to check it out?"  
"I don't know I was too busy trying to get to you"

"They had it planned out, I overheard them talking about it yesterday, they said it was a distraction and then they were going to collect the merchandise and get out of here. Something about someone falling for it"

"Let me just hold onto you for a minute and then we'll decide what to do"

I looked around where we were trying to work out it out, it was dark and smelled like damp earth but there were slithers of light coming in through cracks in the ceiling above us. Come to think of it the ceiling looked to be quite low.  
"Where are we?"  
"Underneath the cabin, there was a trapdoor under the rug in what I assume was the bedroom"

"I never looked"  
"Why are you here?"  
"Skip, I found this address in a search I did"  
"Proud of you Babe"

I turned so that I was straddling his legs and pulled him to me as his hand held my hip to him, his other hand was combing through my hair with his face nestled in it against my face. I felt so relieved that he was here and safe but then worried about how he had ended up in that grain storage place. For now though I was happy to let him hold me comfortable with the silence.

I stilled, as I was sure I heard a noise and I felt Ranger tense below me, someone had come into the cabin and now I could hear footsteps above us and saw dust fall from the wooden floor that was above us, voices drifted down from the room above.

"There ain't anyone here"

"Maybe not but there has been"

"What you got?"

"A bag"

There were noises as if something was being dropped and then a silence.

"Shit"  
"Whose is it?"  
"A fucking Bounty Hunter was here"  
"You missed your court date?"  
"Well yeah, we had things to do"  
"You idiot, you knew you'd get off the charges, now we'll end up with them chasing after you"  
"It's some woman, she won't find me"  
"You mean like she didn't find us here?"  
"We'll just move her stuff over to the farm, that'll throw everyone"  
"I've got a better idea"  
"What's that then"

I heard the loud sound of a gun going off above us that made me jump and then someone falling to the floor, and then there were two more shots and I felt the most excruciating pain ever in my thigh. I knew I hadn't to make a noise, I couldn't or we'd both be found, with my eyes scrunched tightly closed I locked my mouth onto the thick jacket on Ranger's shoulder biting down hard to stop me from screaming and then tried to breath through the pain and the buzzing in my ears. Did I pass out, I don't know but when I started to be aware of where I was I couldn't hear anything. Ranger moved me away from him and looked at me, concern showing across his face as he wiped a rogue tear from my cheek.

"You okay?"  
I didn't answer so he moved his hand from around my hips making me flinch slightly as it moved across my thigh. As he brought his hand up toward my face he suddenly went still, looking at the blood on his hand.

"Shit you've been hit"

I felt him moving and almost screamed at him to stop but then I felt something go around my thigh and the pressure as he tightened it up. Looking down I saw a leather belt fastened tightly above where the bullet had hit.

"We need to get out of here"

As he stood he took me with him and we ended up stood underneath the hatch door.

"Have they gone?"  
"Yes, I'll go up first and then pull you through"

It was a good job the ceiling was low enough so I watched as he undid a bolt and pushed the door open, jumping at the sound it made as it eventually fell open and landed on the floor. Ranger pulled himself up and then I heard him whisper down to me.

"Stay there while I check around"  
Yeah, like I could have got out on my own anyway, I was stood on just the one leg lent against the wall, if I didn't move I didn't get the shooting pain from where the bullet had hit. I had to manage this; I couldn't let Ranger down and as I saw him above me moved under the opening holding my arms up for him to lift me up and through. As I stood lent against him I removed my gun and held it out for him to take.

"I didn't think you'd have one on you so never asked"  
I smiled as he took it, realizing he wouldn't know some of the things that happened back at Rangeman. With his arm around me I hobbled across the room, trying to ignore the pool of blood on the floor, wondering if Verity was just injured and had left. In the main room I looked around but my bag was gone.

"They moved my bag"

"Don't worry about it, can you walk?"

"Yeah, though I think maybe I'll need a bit of help"

I was thankful as we moved to the door to leave, it was dark outside, really dark, but at least the moonlight gave us enough light to see with.

"Where's your car?"  
"Back down the track"

I think Ranger was almost carrying me as his arm surrounded my waist but I tried hard to make sure I used my good leg and I was ensuring the injured leg made an effort. We rounded the turn from in front of the cabin and slowly made our way down the track and as my eyes adjusted to the darkness I felt sure I knew where the car had been.

"It's gone"  
"Are you sure it isn't further down?"  
"No I parked so it was underneath those branches, next to that tree"

"They must have taken it, we need to get some help and get someone to look at your leg"

I patted my pocket and pulled out my phone handing it over to Ranger, somehow he knew my password to unlock it and as he took it off mute shrill sounds of messages echoed around us. I watched as he entered a number and listened to his side of the conversation when it was answered.

"Need an extraction"  
"Follow the phone and then pick up from there in an hour"  
"Yeah, bring Bobby with you"

He didn't say anything and I didn't ask, hopefully he'd managed to get through to someone at Rangeman. He secured his arm around me as we slowly started to walk down the track, I knew it was a few miles but it seemed so much longer, but then I'd only ever driven down here and with the pain from my leg I knew it was slow going. Several times I just closed my eyes and focused on moving forward trying to put the thought of a bullet in my leg to the back of my mind. We didn't talk, each lost in our own thoughts but I knew Ranger was constantly scanning and listening for anything out of place. Eventually we got to the main road, well at least the road that had tarmac on it but instead of stopping we turned right and carried on. I panicked when I saw headlights up ahead and heard a car approaching, Ranger moved us off the road and into the trees where we waited and watched. I was so relieved to see a black SUV pull up and park in front of us, as the door opened no light came on but I knew it was Lester and Bobby who got out and walked over to us. No words were spoken as Ranger bent and lifted me in his arms and I felt the warmth from inside the car and the motion as we started to drive away.

"You hurt Ranger?"  
"No Brown but Steph is"  
"How the hell are you both here?"  
"Long story"  
"Where to, Rangeman?"  
"No, we need to stay off the radar, get us to mine"

I had no idea where he meant and as the warmth seeped through me and Rangers arms held me, I know I was out of it; I had no idea if I passed out or fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As my mind seemed to make a come back I had memories of voices in my head, I'm sure I heard Lester and Bobby and of course Ranger. The things that I heard were muddled and hazy from curt comments to swearing and I'm almost sure some arguments. I remembered vividly what happened to me before being in the SUV but as I lay out in what seemed to be a very comfortable place, for the life of me I couldn't remember where I was or what had happened since. I needed to open my eyes and assess the damage and then work out what to do next, for some reason I was scared that Ranger had disappeared, back doing whatever it was he did when he was in the wind. I'd always assumed that when he was away like that he would be in some third world country not a few miles away from Trenton. I also wondered if Tank, Lester or Bobby knew that he was close by. I couldn't really feel much pain from my leg, maybe a dull ache, so started to try and open my eyes. The light around me was dim so it didn't hurt my eyes but I was surprised to see Ranger sat in a chair watching me, at the side of the bed. Did he smile as I looked at him, well stared really, though I did see his lips tilt up as if amused. He'd obviously showered and changed, his wet hair loose down to his collar, maybe shorter than I'd remembered it and now his face was smooth from shaving but he looked gaunt and I'm sure he'd lost weight. He wasn't wearing his usual black clothes instead he had on washed out denim jeans and a cream T-shirt, I felt my heart go up a notch and knew I had to say something.

"Hi, I have so many questions I don't know where to begin"  
"How about I start then, how are you feeling?"  
"Okay, maybe a bit achy where I got shot"

I saw him flinch as I said that and immediately jumped in.

"That wasn't your fault, it was my bad luck that the dam bullet came through the floor"  
"I still don't like it when you get hurt on my watch"

"Ranger there was no way you could predict that happening"  
"Maybe"  
"Can I move and sit up?"

I needed to change the subject away from him believing any of this was in any way his fault and watched as he stood up and helped me to sit up, then he piled cushions behind me allowing me to see where I was, it also brought him close to me and my senses were assaulted by his smell and Bulgari, shit I had to get those emotions tightly locked down or I would scare him away if he knew. He kissed me on the forehead and sat down on the bed next to me reaching out and getting hold of my hand. I felt my heart fall because I was sure he was going to say something I didn't like.

"Do you want anything to eat?"  
So not what I expected and shook my head because to be honest I really didn't feel hungry, anxious yes.

"We're in a house that's safe with Bobby and Ram at the moment. Bobby had to patch you up but it looks to be healing well; you've been here for 12 hours. Santos is coming back later when he finds out if there's anything going on that farm"

"What about you?"  
"When Santos is here then I'll decide my next course of action"  
"So you're going away again?"  
"Yeah, Babe, I have to complete this contract"

I tried so hard not to show my disappointment at what he'd said, shit I felt so stupid thinking he might stay around.

"Can I get up?"  
"No, strict instructions from Bobby, but I'll go get him and tell him you're awake"

I watched as he left the room and tried to resign myself that he would be leaving soon, I suppose it was inevitable and I'd just have to get on with doing what I do, though bounty hunting could be a problem until this wound healed. The silence in the room gave me time to look around, it was a lovely room, large and spacious with the bed in the center of the wall, there were tables on each side of the bed with modern lamps, in fact the things in here were a mixture of old and new and it worked so well. The door opening brought my attention back and I looked up to see Bobby coming through the door smiling at me, he always made me feel better just by how he treated me.

"I'm glad to see you awake, how're you feeling?"  
"Okay, a bit achy"

"I gave you a local so be prepared to take some pain meds when it wears off. Let's see how it's doing"

I realized I was wearing one of Ranger's T-shirts and a pair of cotton briefs as he pulled down the covers to reveal bandages round my thigh. He slowly began to unwrap the bandage and then removed a dressing to reveal where the bullet had gone in.

"I think because the bullet had passed through wood it had slowed down so it wasn't as deep as I first thought, only muscle damage, so it may be hard to walk with for a few days  
"It doesn't look bad"  
"Yeah well, stitches come out in a week, maybe sooner, we'll see how it goes"  
He placed a new dressing over the injury and taped it down, not recovering it with bandages, that meant if I used a waterproof bandage at least I could shower.

"Can I get up?"

"Tomorrow, but you can sit out on the balcony if you want"

As Bobby moved away Ranger came into view and before I could even say anything he had lifted me out of the bed.

"Err, bathroom first"

He changed direction and pushed open a door from the bedroom into one of the most beautiful bathrooms I'd ever seen. Don't get me wrong I don't have a thing for bathrooms but when you have to live with one that looks like mine you begin to appreciate others. I was stood in front of the toilet and at the sound of the door closing I sat down and took a good look around, there was a large tub and separate shower, wash basin and toilet all in white set against pale slate tiles on the floor and wall, louver doors went from floor to ceiling and probably housed the towels. I managed to hop around and had opened the door surprised when Ranger swept me off my feet again and made for glass doors at the side of the bedroom, wow, it was a beautiful view, white sand with the waves washing to and forth against the beach. A back yard that had a pool with decking around it and loungers sat under the shade of trees, potted plants completed the effect and added bright colors. I felt myself being lowered but was surprised when I found Ranger sat behind me, he supported my back while my legs rested in front of me, it would have been an idyllic moment if I didn't feel so anxious around him. As he moved to the side he handed me my phone, it was off so I switched it back on, nearly jumping at the number of missed calls and messages. Why would there be so many? Any numbers I didn't recognize I deleted them and then blocked them from my phone, I always had to do that because I was so fed up with nosy people only after gossip about me. I brought the phone to my ear and started to listen to what people wanted from me.

"Cupcake what the hell trouble are you in now?  
"Cupcake where the hell are you"

"Cupcake I warned you that something like this would happen"  
"Cupcake I don't think even I can help you with the trouble you're in"

The tone of his voice sounded like he was annoyed and I couldn't work out why.  
"Stephanie Michelle Plum how could you"  
"Stephanie phone me now and tell me it's not true"  
"Stephanie I don't know what the neighbors are saying, but you'd better get yourself home"

"Stephanie you have to meet with Joseph, he said he can help"

I didn't know whether to be upset or annoyed, why would they say that to me, I mean they hadn't even said what was wrong, let alone asked me for my version of events. I threw the phone against the wall and literally rolled away from Ranger, tears streaming down my face I walked, yeah I used my injured leg, dashing into the bedroom and fell on my stomach on the bed. I felt the bed dip and knew Ranger was there but what could I say? I mean I know I can get into trouble but why did everyone assume it was me and did it ever occur to them that I was injured?  
"No, go away"  
"Babe"  
Between racking sobs I batted him away, I didn't want his sympathy, I didn't want him to see me how everyone else did. I couldn't move him in the end and felt him laying down next to me, and then him moving me until I was settled on his arm and laid into his side.

"Babe, I know you're upset, is there anyone you want me to call for you, do you need Morelli here with you?"  
I looked up at him and could see he was being sincere and that's when it hit me, he wanted Morelli with me so he didn't have to be, I turned away from him but now my heart was breaking as well.

"Babe will you at least talk to me"  
"Why should I?"  
"Because I don't like seeing you upset"  
"So go away then"

I felt him get up but I wasn't sure of where he went to, I just wanted to be on my own and yeah feel sorry for myself. I suppose I must have fallen asleep because when I became more aware of where I was I was shocked to find myself back next to Ranger, why the hell had he come back. I wiped my face knowing I must look an absolute mess, but couldn't work out what to do or say.

"I'm sorry Babe"  
I didn't respond to that one.

"I listened to what had upset you"  
"You listened to my messages?"  
"Yes, I don't know why people have to treat you so badly"  
Did I roll my eyes at that? Probably, hell that was how I'd always been treated.  
"Babe, you don't deserve what they said, hell if wasn't for you I'd be dead, you give so much of yourself and get nothing in return"  
"It's always been like that"  
"Not anymore, not if I have anything to do with it"  
Yeah right, he didn't have to live my life, my mother, Morelli and gossipers would always be there to knock me down, like they always had done. I felt his thumbs wipe away the tears from my cheeks then his hands on my head pulling me to him, I felt so secure here in his hold, so safe from the world, but knew it was just a temporary thing. The thing was I just never knew with Ranger whether he acted this way through pity or was I like a stray dog he took in and looked after?

"Babe why don't you clean up and then we can find out what Santos has found out and then get something to eat?"  
I suppose that would work for me, at least then there'd be other people around. I nodded my head and moved to get up from the bed but again I felt myself being lifted and deposited in the bathroom where there was a hoodie and some joggers, washing my face and tying my hair in a ponytail I just pulled them over what I was wearing before coming out again.

Once downstairs Ranger left me sat on a black leather couch on my own, this time though I could take in where I was. I seemed to be in a room just off the kitchen because I was sure I could hear talking. It was a bright room with windows above me in the ceiling and rugs on marble tiles below me. There was a large TV and music system in the corner and another couch set at an angle, but what got my attention was a wall of shelves behind me, shelves that had books on and photo frames, but dam it, I was too far away to be able to see them properly. I turned as Bobby walked into the room carrying bowls in both hands, he placed them on the table and disappeared then Lester did the same until there were bowls covering the low coffee table in front of me.

"Beautiful what would you like, we have all sorts to fill a wrap"  
I pointed to some chicken and salad, with cheeses on top.

"Thanks Lester"  
"No problem, how's the leg?"  
"Okay"

I watched as each man helped himself to at least four wraps while I struggled with one and then I took a bottle of water from the table. They cleared the plates back into the kitchen and I was surprised when Ranger brought a small bowl to me, removing the lid for me to see inside. I laughed when I saw two chocolate covered cookies, I'm sure they were Ella's and savored each mouthful, knowing that at least I could find a happy place while I ate them.

Bobby left after everything was tidy, he needed to get back to Rangeman but as Lester sat down I could tell that the news he had was bad and felt Ranger move so he was behind me again, what was with him for doing that?

"Lester what's happened?"  
"It's not good Beautiful, for you or Ranger"  
"I don't understand"

"Okay when I got anywhere near that farm it was swarming with police and FBI, I hadn't a chance of finding out anything; so I went to the station and caught up with Eddie and Robin. It seems your car ended up at the farm with your bag inside and also the dead body of someone called Verity laid on the ground near it. They're saying you shot him Beautiful"  
"But they know I couldn't do that"  
"Well the problem is they say there's a witness who says he saw you do it"

I had absolutely no idea what to say to that, I knew I hadn't done it but I suppose if my car was there and the apprehension papers were in my bag it could be something that might look bad, but a witness, who the hell could that be, there was no one else at the farm other than the man who actually shot Verity in the cabin. But how did the police know to go there unless someone called them. Then I remembered Lester had said it wasn't good for Ranger either.

"Why was the FBI there?"

"Seems there was evidence, photos and some things belonging to Ranger that tied him into running guns"

I knew Ranger had already heard that because he didn't make a move behind me, shit what the hell was I supposed to do now?  
"Beautiful they have a warrant out for your arrest and word is no judge would give you bail because of you being a Bounty Hunter"  
I felt Ranger running circles on my arms, and to some extent that did calm me, at least I wouldn't jump up and start to rant and rave, though to be honest I felt numb inside.

"Babe what can you remember of Verity?"

"I ran a search through the program at Rangeman, he had all sorts to his name but seemed to get off any charges. He'd spent time all over the States but I found the farm through his family"  
"Santos can you access that and bring a copy, in fact get Hector to set up a couple of laptops for us to use here"  
"He was at an address by the docks, an old warehouse that looked as though it was being done up as apartments. I saw the other man there and they were taking boxes into their car"  
"Do you know where they went with the boxes?"  
"No, I got blocked in with a lorry"

I listened as they continued to talk, blocking out what they were saying I couldn't just sit here talking normally as though it was just another investigation, I knew Ranger wouldn't say what he'd been up to and in a way I felt so lost with everything that Lester had said. I moved up from the couch and started to limp toward the stairs seeing both Ranger and Lester just watching me go.

"I think I need to lay down"

I managed to get upstairs and headed for the room I'd been in but ended up taking a blanket from the bed and sitting outside, I needed the sight of the waves on the beach and the sound that they made. I wrapped the blanket around me to ward off the cool evening breeze. Normally I would have lain on the bed in my thinking position but even the thought of that didn't comfort me. There was no way I would let anyone arrest me, not when I knew I didn't stand a chance of proving my innocence, hell no one would believe me, they would just say it was my own fault and how I was always getting into trouble. The fact that Morelli had said those things to me just reinforced that notion, he wouldn't help me unless he thought he'd get something out of it for himself and that was probably me. The more I thought about it the angrier I got and in the end I decided that I wanted to find the bastard who'd done this to me, I'd find him, I mean I could always find someone when I needed to or solve a problem for someone else so I could dam well do it for me. I felt Ranger come up behind me, but didn't turn. He knelt down beside me and turned my face towards his.

"You are strong Babe, you can get through this"  
"Do you think so?"  
"Yes, I can see the fight in your eyes and I know we'll work it out"  
"Do you have to go away again"  
"Yes, but I'd like you to come with me, the people we're after are connected and we both have wrongs to put right"

"Thank you"

"For what?"  
"I don't know, believing in me, not seeing the worst in me"  
"Babe, I know you inside out, I trust you like no one else and can see the best in you, as long you don't get some hair brained idea and go charging off on your own then I know we can keep each other safe"

"I promise I'll do what you ask as long as you tell me everything, don't leave me in the dark"  
"I promise I'll try"

What else could I ask, I mean both of us had quirks that were going to be hard to break but if we could talk through things and work things through then I was confident we would sort this out. I felt his hands on either side of my face and felt his lips kissing my forehead, nose and lips then sitting by me and pulling me into his side, I felt more settled now ready to conquer the world.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I awoke with a scream on my lips, my heart beating so fast and my breathing coming in gulps. I felt arms go around me, pulling me to lie over a warm comfortable body. As I became more aware of who was with me I started to calm and once my breathing slowed down I looked up to see Ranger looking at me.

"What was the dream about?"  
Did I want to tell him, I mean I always suffered from dreams when something bad had happened, eventually they'd get less and disappear, unless like now they seemed to come out of the woodwork and gang up on me.

"Sometimes it feels better to talk it through with someone Babe"

"I saw Verity and that other man standing over me, I was so afraid but not for myself, but then Morelli was there laughing at me, then he and my Mum were whispering and they both started to shout at me, I felt so sad, so alone when that happened, but I think the worst thing though was seeing you shot by Verity's friend and laying on the floor in my hallway bleeding out, the same as after Scrogg shot you, I felt all the anguish and fear that I'd felt that night"  
The picture had me silently crying, that image of Ranger in my hall after Scrogg had shot him conjured up so much despair.

"Hey, I'm here, I'm not hurt and it's not going to happen"  
"I fell apart when that happened, I couldn't help it"  
I felt his hands on my face pulling it up to look at him.

"Babe I would do anything for the people I love, I knew it was a risk going in but I also knew that you and Julie were in there"

"Yeah well it's one of the memories that makes its way into my dreams"

"Are you still dreaming a lot?"  
"Only after a bad incident, it's almost as if I see what happened so much clearer, but then it gets mixed up with other things that have happened from the past and it isn't always what I see, it's reliving the feelings that's the worst"

He moved my face so it was laid on his chest, his fingers twirling one of my curls.

"Sometimes I break into your apartment at night and watch you sleep, you help to calm me, chase my demons away, so if I can't sleep for nightmares I go to you. Use me to chase yours away as well, I'm here for you Babe"

I didn't know what to say, I knew he would sometimes have been there, sat in the chair in the corner of my room, in the morning there was the faint smell that I associated with him, I didn't know why until now and sometimes I even questioned that it ever happened but hearing him say he would be there to help with my dreams was comforting and maybe I did feel better for talking them through with him. I know I must have drifted back to sleep, fortunately with no more dreams but when I woke I was alone hugging a pillow to me, a pillow that smelt just like Ranger, how sad is that. I slowly stretched and moved my leg; I think it was already feeling better so maybe I could manage on my own today. I limped into the bathroom and found a waterproof bandage by the sink, did Ranger know me or what, he'd know my need to be clean after what we'd been through. I showered and washed my hair using the things Ranger had left in there and then with a towel round me went back into the bedroom. I had a sudden thought as I stood in the middle of the room, what the hell was I going to wear?  
"There are clothes in the closet Babe"  
I jumped at his voice and turned toward him with I'm sure a frown across my face.

As I opened the doors all I could do was stare.

"How?"  
"In case I brought you here"

I almost asked why again but promptly closed my mouth instead, I knew I wanted to ask but I didn't want to know if the answer he gave me would just emphasize that we were friends and nothing more. I watched as he left the room before turning back to the closet. I found a bra and matching pants, black joggers that would be comfortable and a pale yellow T-shirt. With my hair pulled back in a ponytail I decided I didn't need anything on my feet and made my way downstairs. I walked, well limped, through the lounge and into the kitchen where I could hear voices coming from, Ranger was busy at the stove turning something in a pan and Lester was putting plates and cutlery onto a wooden kitchen table. He'd only set out places for three people so I assumed no one else had returned from Rangeman. Lester saw me first, his smile making me smile back at him.

"How's it going Beautiful?"  
"Good, the leg hurts but I feel I can walk better today"  
"Yeah gun shots hurt like a bitch"

I sat down at the table and started to drink the coffee Lester put in front of me then jumped slightly when Ranger pushed some scrambled egg onto my plate, I was so not taking any interest in what was going on around me, I was still trying to figure out why there were clothes in the closet that fit me, maybe this was a safe house that he'd tried to get me to stay in when I'd been in trouble before. I felt Ranger's hand move to my shoulder so looked up to him looking at me, I nodded my head hoping he'd know I felt okay.  
"I'm gonna head back to Rangeman today, we need to be extra careful, Morelli was there yesterday accusing us of hiding Steph and I think we have people watching the building"  
"Check that address down by the docks that Steph had for Verity"  
"Will do, maybe I'll get a skip and pay a visit to the station, see what gossip there is down there"  
"Okay, Steph and I will do some research here"  
"You got your secure SAT phone?"  
"Yes, it's in the office"  
"Okay, I'm not sure anyone should come out here in case we're followed"

"I'll use the phone if I need to"

I watched as Lester finished his food and then went into the lounge to fetch his jacket, he bent down and kissed the top of my head before walking out through to the garage. I hadn't eaten a lot, but felt full, so picked up the plates from the table and looked for a dishwasher to put them into once I'd rinsed them off. I felt Ranger behind me and then as he put his arms around my waist, pulling me into his front. My hands lay on top of his and I lent back into him feeling his face next to my head.

"You really okay?"  
"Yeah, I just feel so frustrated by what everyone seems to think"  
"Channel that frustration; I know you can"  
"All right then where are we working?"  
"That's my girl"

What a weird expression to use but maybe that's how Ranger saw me, a girl from the Burg who he could trust when he needed to and I hope a friend he could rely on as well. As he released me I turned and followed him through the lounge to a door under the stairs, I hadn't even noticed it before and was surprised when we came into a room that had a bank of monitors showing the perimeter of the property, I suppose when they had someone here the man guarding who ever it was would work in here. There were two laptops on a desk facing each other and a desktop computer, printer and fax, a really smart office and then as I turned I could see boards covered in photos and notes. Were these part of the things that Ranger had done as part of his work?  
"Err, Ranger, should I be seeing these?"  
I knew he was very secretive about the work he did.

"Yes, they're part of the investigation I was doing, but seeing as they now think I've gone rogue then I don't see them as confidential anymore, at least not to you"  
I walked over to the boards to try to get a feel for what he had been doing, surprised at the detail of the reports and where he'd been. As I looked at the map on the wall I had a sudden idea come to mind and found my search I'd done on Verity that someone had left on the table.

"So these places you went to, how did you come to be there?"  
"I was trying to follow the clues"  
"Clues? I think you need to tell me exactly what it was you were asked to do"  
"Okay, lets sit down and I'll try to explain it to you"

We went over to a couch that was against the wall in the corner by the window, both of us sat on the edge of the seat, Ranger rubbed his hands down his face as if he was thinking carefully where to begin or what to include and then sat back against the back rest, I turned to watch his face when he started to talk, slowly at first, as though choosing his words carefully.

"Okay, I need this to be from the beginning but without all of the detail, the detail's on the boards if you need to read it. I was contracted out through my government contract to help the FBI to find out the who and the how a new brand of drug was getting into the country. This drug has turned up in various places in the States, but it's lethal.

"People die from it?"  
"Eventually, the user experiences hallucinogenic effects that don't last long but they have no memory of what they were doing. The side effects that kick in vary from loss of memory to extreme violence and sometimes death. Those effects can hit some users straight away but when medical teams tried to ascertain the contents they found a new chemical that they haven't been able to identify"

"So you started where the drug had turned up?"  
"Yes, I needed to find the supply routes through the dealers"  
"Okay so were the dealers cooperative?"  
"The usual dealers aren't handling it, didn't even know of it, in fact I never found how the drug got onto the streets"  
"How many users are we talking about, say in New York?"

"Not sure, but I know ten have died but I don't know how many may have taken it"  
"Okay, so how did you end up at that farm?"  
"That information came through a young kid up in New York, he'd ended up in hospital after taking the drug, it was an address he was carrying in his jacket pocket"  
"What happened to him?"  
"He died"  
"So you went to the farm"  
"Yeah, I was watching the place and saw two men dropping stuff into that grain holder, I was stupid, I never expected it to be a trap, I used the door that you opened but as soon as I was inside someone slammed it shut behind me"

"So they knew you'd go there?"  
"I think they meant for me to find that address"  
"Shit someone's really good at planning things out"  
"And I think they knew I was following their trail"  
I thought through what he'd told me, I never imagined that he did work in this country, just me being naive I suppose.

"What was in the bag that they dropped down?"

"A bottle of water and a sandwich"

"Seems strange they were feeding you"  
"I didn't touch it, wasn't sure if it was laced with that drug"

"Hell, I never thought of that"

"Babe tell me how did you end up there?"  
"Terence Verity, he was FTA, so while I was at Rangeman I did a search and wanted to find out more about him. His bank records put him all over the country, which we maybe should compare to your map. He had an arrest sheet but had never been charged, but his bond was quite high. I followed his family and discovered his Grandparents owned the farm so made the decision to stake out the address that Connie gave me and the farm"  
"Why did you come back?"  
"I don't know, I just felt a compulsion to go back and a feeling that I had to open that door"

"Somehow I knew there was someone out there Babe"

I didn't want to explore the feeling I'd had whenever I was near that place but then remembered the sound when I'd first got close to it.  
"Did you run inside that thing?"

He laughed as he answered me, wow Ranger laughing was so good to see in the midst of all the things we were talking about.  
"Yeah, I needed to stay fit, why?"  
"The first time I heard this drumming sound, it frightened the shit out of me and I had the most weird dream about it"  
"Why were you at Rangeman?"

Hell I thought he might have forgotten I'd said that and him firing that question slightly unnerved me, after all I wasn't sure if he knew Tank had offered me a job or whether he would like that.  
"I, err, needed some help from Bobby"  
"Did you get hurt?"  
"Kind of, I got stung by a load of bees chasing a skip and didn't react well, so Bobby came to the rescue"  
"I'm glad you agreed to work at Rangeman"  
"You know?"  
"Of course, Santos couldn't stop himself from telling me"  
"You don't mind?"  
"No, the opposite, I like the idea of you working there"  
I didn't know what to say about that but felt a relief at what he'd said, the problem was I wasn't too sure how I would cope going into that building every week. Would the friendship I had with Ranger continue, would he expect me to sometimes go up to seven or would I be more aware of his social life and maybe the women he might take there.

"Babe, what's got you worried?"  
How did he know I was worried, was it so obvious?  
"Just thinking about this case we have"  
"Yeah right, so where do you want to start?"  
I don't think he believed my answer, but I wasn't sure what else to say, I mean there was no way I could explain to Ranger how I felt. No, as he would say, focus on the goal and then when we were finished I'd cross that bridge when we got to it.

"I made a note of the plate from the car they drove, it may give us a name for the other man"  
"Okay, I'll check the places Verity went from your search and see if they coincide with where the drug was"  
I nodded my head and slowly got up from the couch and sat down in front of a laptop, I hadn't realized Hector had got them here so soon, but I shouldn't be surprised. I pulled my phone from my pocket and powered it on, cringing at the new messages I'd received; I really didn't want to have to listen to them, not if they repeated the same as they had before. Going through my notes on the app, I wrote down the plate number of the car and then found the program that would give me the owner and put the number in, I was never sure just how legal some of these searches were but I really didn't care, not if it helped to bring down a bad guy. I was pleased when a name I didn't recognize came onto the screen hoping that maybe I had found a name for the man that killed Verity and put that into a search. I should have known it wouldn't give us anything, the car had belonged to a man who lived in New York and he'd reported it stolen three weeks ago. I suppose that put Verity or his friend in New York at that time. I walked over to the board to see the names of the people who had died there, Ranger had already ran searches on them, looking for something they had in common, by the looks of it he hadn't found a common link. I wrote down the names and went back to my laptop thinking of some of the ways I found skips, the victims were mixed race, both male and female but all around about the same age, mid twenties, hell they were too young to die, they'd had the rest of their lives in front of them, people to meet and adventures to experience. I closed my eyes tight to refocus and logged onto my Facebook account and then starting with the first person put their name in to see if they used this to communicate with friends. Fortunately Ranger had photos of the youngsters and I spotted one of the faces. The girl was called Francine and she worked and lived in New York, once into her page I realized she had put the security settings on high. So I went back to my list and decided on the youngest boy of the group, named Corey, and was pleased when again he came up on my list and yes, as I guessed he hadn't set any privacy settings and no one had closed down the account. I checked for the date he had died and then scrolled down to a few days before. This kid had a hell of a lot of friends, but reading through maybe they were just people he knew. I couldn't believe my luck when I saw that Francine had written something and that there were responses from others. Checking the names from Ranger I realized I'd found a conversation that included most of them. They were talking about going to a party, well rave I think, and one of the kids implied there was more than just alcohol there. This kid wasn't on the list of who'd died, his name was Hayden and when I linked into his page found he was older than the others.

"Ranger I have a name and place that links those kids that died"  
I hadn't looked up as I spoke but when I didn't get an answer I turned round to see Ranger just looking at me.

"Did you hear me?"  
"What have you got?"  
"Hayden, aged 31. They met up at a rave party, Resolute; Resolute throws secret warehouse and rooftop parties on a pretty regular basis from what I can see"

I made sure I had my notes and logged out of Facebook, then walked over to Ranger who was stood in front of the boards, handing him the paper with the information on.

"Do you know where we can find this Hayden?"  
"No, and I don't have a second name"

"Any idea on when the next party is?"  
"No it's one of those things where they change the venue and you have to log into a site to find out, or like these guys just send out info through a social networking site"

"I'll find out when the next party is and where it will be"

I turned to walk away from him and was surprised when his arm came around my waist and he steered me toward the door.

"Time to eat Babe and I'm sure you probably need some pain killers"  
Now I thought about it my leg was beginning to ache, probably from being sat so long in front of a computer, but eating, I wasn't overly hungry but knew I needed something.

"I'm making tuna salad on rye, what would you like?"  
"The same will be fine"  
I ignored the look he gave me, but no way was I going to tell him that some of Ella's healthy food was rubbing off on me and I actually liked it. I collected some juice from the fridge and two glasses and followed Ranger through a door onto the decking outside sitting down at a table.

"Babe how about a swim this afternoon?"  
"That would be good"

I would rather have gone down onto the beach but I knew it wouldn't be safe, someone might recognize us, which brought a question to my mind.

"Where are we exactly"  
I saw the way his lips curved up and how he was thinking about what to say what I didn't expect was for him to pull me from the table and pull me down on his knee.

"Hey"

"I thought you wanted an answer"

He was in a playful mood that warmed my heart and made me forget the trouble we were in.

I bent forward and rested my cheek against his face whispering into his ear.

"I'll put sugar in your yoghurt and smoothies"

I felt his hands come round my waist and then I let out a scream and squirmed on his knee as his fingers began tickling me, I was laughing hard trying to bat away his hands when he suddenly stopped and looked at me making me calm immediately.

"What did I do wrong"  
I didn't know what to make of the silence or lack of movement, I couldn't figure out what I'd done for that to happen.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Nothing Babe, I love to hear you laugh and I suppose I was so busy watching you I stopped tickling you"  
I felt warmth move to my cheeks so knew I was blushing, for some reason what he'd said felt so sincere and in some ways it felt intimate. I watched his face and eyes and could detect a change in them, the hard face he would wear had gone and there was something else there, something I'd seen a hint of before but now it was more intense. I couldn't stop looking into his eyes. His hands came to hold my face as if to stop me from from breaking the gaze.

"While I was stuck inside that dam tin can I had a lot of time to think about my life, what I'd accomplished and things I'd do differently if I had the chance. I went through times I had enjoyed and rejoiced in, like finally getting to know Julie and then all the things I regretted doing. The biggest regret was you, not seeing you, hearing you and touching you again"

I was speechless as I listened to what he was saying, was I hearing right, had he really been thinking about me or had he been going through memories of his life? I didn't have to think anymore though as his lips came to mine, so soft and so tender, and I parted my lips inviting his touch and relished in the senses as his tongue gently caressed mine. My hormones didn't take over, I had no sudden compulsion to get him naked and in bed, instead a feeling that I'd never experienced before grew from within until I felt I would burst. Tears came to my eyes at the realization that this was what it felt like to truly love someone deeply.

"Babe"

The name was said with a sigh, I think he may have been worried at my reaction and as I pulled away I reminded myself of all the times he'd said something similar, yeah he'd said he'd loved me in his own way, but that it wasn't the type of love that came with a ring but a condom might be useful. Shit why was it I had to fall for someone who was unobtainable.

"I will always be here for you, but I will always be worried for you, I have enemies that you need to be protected against"

"I think I bring enough danger of my own to the table"  
"I suppose you do"  
"Anyway if you've talked to Lester then you should know I've started self defense and have already been to the gun range"  
"Proud of you babe"

The sound of a door opening had Ranger sitting up in front of me a gun already in his hand, where the hell that came from I had no idea but I smiled when I saw Hector stood in the doorway.

"Jefe"

The gun was lowered and Ranger stood up taking me with him.

"Estefania, how is the leg"  
"Better thank you"  
He walked up to me and kissed me on the cheek and then went and sat down, his whole demeanor changing from the smiling face to one that needed to talk with us. Ranger and I took the seats we'd been in when eating our lunch, with Ranger sat opposite Hector.

"The cop came to Rangeman this morning with a warrant to search the place. I think it was good that Estefania's things were found in Ella's apartment because he was most insistent to get up into your apartment"

"Did Santos get any more information?"  
"Si, the name of the witness, Julian Herchie, but the searches didn't turn up much"

"So no one knows who this man is?"  
"No, the background is obscure but that isn't stopping the charges being pushed for, they don't seem to be looking any further for any new evidence"  
I didn't know if I dared ask the question I was thinking, surely he wouldn't be allowed to take on the case, he was too close to knowing me.

"Hector which detective is in charge?"  
"Jones and Morelli"

I didn't who Jones was, only that Joe had mentioned him as someone new to the area, but surely Joe would have looked further into the evidence, wouldn't he?

"Estefania, the trackers in your bag are still at the apartment but why did you remove the tracker from your car, if we knew where you were we could have helped"  
"I used a rucksack and never thought to transfer the trackers but I didn't take a tracker from the car, in fact I left it knowing you'd be able to follow it"  
That was strange because it had only been a few days since I'd left Rangeman.

"Hector can you work out where it is or when it was removed?"

I looked from Ranger to Hector as I went through in mind what I'd been doing since leaving Rangeman.

"The last place was your parents and was in dumpster at your apartment"  
"But the following morning I was at Rangeman meeting with Ram, you saw me there Hector"  
"Si, we don't track car, it's only used if emergency to find you"

Who the hell would remove the tracker, I mean not that many people would know there would be one there? Lula would know, she'd asked how Ranger always knew where to find me if I was in trouble, but surely she wouldn't take it, hell she wouldn't know what it looked like let alone be able to get herself under the car. Joe knew, but why would he remove it, he'd have nothing to gain from doing that. I suppose anyone at Rangeman knew about it, but why, I couldn't think of a reason or anyone who would do it.

"Estefania?"  
"Sorry, just thinking"  
"Who knew?"  
"Lula, maybe Joe and I suppose Rangemen"

"Okay, I have phone for you, but not use social media sites from laptop. There are comments on there that I got rid of, some not nice"  
Shit I hadn't even looked at my own page this morning but thought maybe I should check my phone before turning it off or even dumping it somewhere obscure.

"Babe check your phone now and Hector can dump it on the way back to Rangeman"  
I walked back into the office and retrieved my phone from where I had left it on the desk and just stood there trying to work up the courage to listen to what messages I had, I noted that the ones that had been there the previous evening had been deleted, maybe Ranger had done that when he'd listened to them. I think I felt Ranger behind me before I saw him and then felt him standing behind me, pulling me into him.

"It's only words Babe, they can't hurt you and all we're doing is using them"

I wanted to believe him but I could still feel all my insecurities come flooding back, I mean what if Ranger started to believe them, would he still want me around?  
"Babe, I know you, I know how your mind works so don't let what they say pull you down. I will be right here with you"

I pressed the button to hear the first message, this was from Mary Lou and I prayed that she would say something to support me.

"Hey, Lou here, Steph honey I know you, no way have they got it right. I'm so sorry I don't know what I can do to help, but you shout if I can help. Love you Steph, good luck"

I smiled as her message came to an end; yes Lou had always supported me and was probably the only person I could ever talk to about anything.

"Cupcake, I know you're hiding but you need to turn yourself in, if they see you're with me maybe we could get the sentence reduced, hell I'll even help pay for a lawyer, but you have to come in or things will only look bad for you"  
I couldn't believe that he thought I was guilty and did he really think I would get back together with him in the hope of a reduced sentence, I'd rather be on the run forever than do that.

"He seems to have made his decision that you're guilty, he doesn't know you at all does he?"

I went for the next message deciding that I was glad to be rid of Morelli, yeah I didn't even feel like calling him by his name.

"Hey white girl, we heard the talk, no way you shot anyone, hell half the time you ain't got your gun and the other half you're telling me to put mine away. Let me know hows yer doing, love ya"

"Pumpkin, I know you didn't do anything wrong, be brave because I'm sure you can work it out, let me know if you need any help. Love you"

I almost had tears in my eyes as I listened to my Dad, for whatever reason I was so overwhelmed with how he was supporting me now.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum, you get back here right now, Joseph said he can help you, how can he do that when you're hiding out. How could you embarrass us like this, not only did you kill a man you're a wanted fugitive"  
"Two out of five Babe, and I think you expected it of them, but you have friends who are ready to support you and don't forget your friends at Rangeman"  
I did actually feel better for having the courage to listen to those messages, I mean I knew Morelli and my mother would have a go at me. I powered down the phone and handed it to Ranger then pulled him to me by wrapping my arms around his waist. He didn't let go of me, just held me and then with a kiss on my head turned me around.

"Hector will be worried where we got to"

We returned to find Hector walking back and forth a phone in his hand and sentences in Spanish drifting toward us, I had no clue what he was saying but felt Ranger tense beside me.

"Ranger, what's happened?"  
"I have a feeling we may have to leave"  
I stared back at him, totally lost as to why we would need to do that, or had someone discovered this was where we were, but how could they have found out? I watched as Hector put his phone away and as Ranger passed my phone over to him, then saw him nod at Ranger before he came over to me and kissed me on the cheek,

"Be safe Estefania, look after each other"  
Ranger held his hand out to me and we walked into the kitchen to find a rucksack on the table, probably one that Hector had left for Ranger.

"Babe we need to leave as soon as possible, there's a square black bag in the side of the wardrobe, change into comfortable clothes and put a change of clothes in the bag, I'll meet you in the garage"

I used the bathroom and changed into cargo pants and added a long sleeved T-shirt, with my cat boots on and with the bag in my hand I walked into the garage. I hadn't a clue where we could be going but knew that I trusted Ranger to keep me safe. Ranger was stood next to a motorbike dressed in black leather gear and it wasn't just any motorbike, it was a BMW K1600B Bagger. He took the bag from my hand and fit it inside the solid panniers on the side of the bike and then passed me a bundle of clothes I would need, leather trousers, jacket and gloves that fit like a second skin.

"Are you okay to carry the rucksack?"  
I nodded as he came to me with a helmet and carefully placed it on my head, fastening the strap under my chin and pulling up the collar of the jacket to cover my neck, I'd tucked my hair under the collar of the jacket so now I'd be warm and my hair was covered up.

"Where are we going?"  
"New York, there are some people there that will help us"  
The bike felt comfortable as I climbed onto the pillion seat and I felt even more comfortable as I leaned against Ranger's back with my arms around his waist. He looked back at me with a half smile at my move then dropped his visor down on his helmet and engaged the gear to move the bike forward. I was surprised when a door at the side of the garage opened and he drove through it, I looked back to see it swing back shut and then we were travelling down a narrow path that I was sure led to the beach, we turned to the left following a parallel path between the back of other houses and the sand. Several minutes later we'd joined the road and were steadily increasing our speed as we left wherever we'd been, I still hadn't asked where we were. Ranger was a fast driver, taking corners with confidence, I never felt unsafe and totally enjoyed the freedom the bike gave us, I wasn't sure of where we were as we'd kept off the main routes, I stayed lent against him my head on his back until I realized that we were slowly driving past buildings and houses. The streets were busier with lots of stopping and starting for lights and junctions' so at this point I sat back putting space between us for me to take in where we were heading but also to allow Ranger the space to maneuver the bike. The road changed from dual lanes to single and the traffic seemed to ease, the buildings were more like offices which changed to factories, at last we started to slow down in front of what looked like warehouses, in some ways reminding me of the building where I'd first seen Verity. As we approached a double door opened, it was rounded at the top and appeared to be made of rotting timber but as we passed through I noticed the metal sheeting that covered the back of them. It was dark inside but as the engine suddenly stopped lights came on, and stood in front of us were three men all looking at us, there were no smiles or a hint of recognition and I quickly began to feel that maybe we had driven into somewhere where there might be trouble. Ranger lifted his leg over the bike to stand up and carefully lifted me to stand next to him, as he removed his helmet the men approached and I stepped back behind Ranger, leaving my helmet on, after all it was more difficult to hit someone when their head was protected.

As the men approached they surprised me when grins appeared from their faces and one by one they did one of those weird fist bumps that only men seemed to do.

"Babe you can take your helmet off now"

I turned down my collar and pulled off my helmet then pulled my hair from the jacket, surprised at how quiet it had gone. All three men were just staring at me.

"She's pretty Ranger"  
"Yeah I never imagined her to look like this"

"Hey I'm stood here guys"  
Yeah, I was pissed at how they were talking about me when I had to listen to them.

"Wow, I swear her eyes went from a sky blue to midnight blue"  
"Gentlemen this is Stephanie, Stephanie the one on the left is Quinn, then Seth and finally Kai"

As Ranger introduced me my Burg manners just seemed to kick in and I approached each man with my hand held out, Quinn lifted my hand and kissed it, Seth did the same but Kai used my hand to pull me forward into his arms and then kissed me on my head.

"Come on let's go through where we can get caught up"

Quinn turned and walked toward a door at the back of the garage while Seth went to the bike and helped Ranger with the bags from the panniers, Kai came behind me and lifted the straps of the rucksack taking it off me. I have to say that felt so much better as I stretched my arms above my head to ease the tension I hadn't realized I had in the muscles in my shoulders. I was stiff which didn't help with my leg and I'm sure as I followed Quinn I was limping slightly. Through the door was a short corridor with plain brick walls painted white and smooth concrete on the floor; Quinn opened the first door that was actually a lift. With Ranger and Seth in as well it was a bit cramped for space and I felt Ranger's arm come round my waist as we moved up. It opened up into a huge area that seemed to be an open plan living area, a kitchen with dark grey cupboards and with the usual appliances sat on the top. A large round glass topped table that had enough seats for six people and then as I turned I saw two deep red leather couches separating the room into a lounge area with a TV on the wall and a sound system below. There were old-fashioned radiators spaced around the room and large colorful rugs by the couches on a polished wooden floor that covered the whole area. Three doors sat side by side behind me next the lift door. Putting down what he was carrying Ranger led me to one of the couches and pulled me down to sit with him. Quinn was in the kitchen placing white boxes on a tray while Seth and Kai sat down opposite us.

"We'll eat first then you can fill us in"  
Quinn placed a box in my hands with a fork sticking out from it, but it wasn't until the aroma reached my nose that my stomach growled it's thankfulness at the idea that it was about to be filled. I moaned as the first mouthful hit my tongue, sweet and sour chicken on a bed of rice, I stopped as I felt three sets of eyes looking over at me. I felt the heat rise up my cheeks and then continued to eat ensuring I didn't make any more sounds. Once finished Quinn collected our boxes and dropped them in a bin while Kai got up and brought through five mugs of coffee, once I'd added cream and sugar I sat back on the couch waiting quietly. When he sat down next to me Ranger lent sideways against the armrest and pulled me into him, an arm resting protectively around my shoulders. I jumped as Kai lifted my feet from the floor and squirmed as he undid the laces of my boots then placed my feet on his knees.

"You were limping so thought maybe the boots were rubbing"  
"No that's not why"  
My hand automatically went to the place where I'd been shot.

"Bullet wound"  
Each man in the room looked at Ranger waiting for an explanation, why was it they referred to him and not me, oh well, I was happy for him to explain because I really wasn't sure how much of our story he wanted them to know.

"We're wanted for crimes we didn't do, both of us were set up, so I appreciate your help but if you feel you want nothing to do with us I'll fully understand"  
"Hell Ranger, no price, right, I know you and how you operate so cut the crap and give us your story"  
I looked at Seth as he used that expression remembering all the times Ranger had said it to me and realized it wasn't just about money and that made that term mean so much more.

"I was under contract to find and stop a new drug coming into the country, I followed a lead, that I now think was a setup and ended up caught. Steph is a Bounty Hunter"  
"Whoa, a Bounty Hunter?"  
"She's too pretty to do that, must have a hell of a partner"  
I gave Quinn my best Burg glare, staring him out until he laughed back at me.

"Okay, sorry, didn't mean to upset you, it's just that you just don't have the look of someone who would go after the scum"

"She always gets her man and has one of the highest capture rates in the state, her instincts at finding them are unbelievable and her captures a little unconventional but that's who she is"  
"Wow, go on then, I can't wait for this part of the story"  
I smiled at Seth, if he only knew some of the stories about my exploits I could keep him entertained for hours.

"Steph was after an FTA named Verity, she discovered a farm where he would sometimes go. She got me out and as we hid in an old cabin him and his friend followed us. The friend shot Verity, which is how Steph got hit while we were hiding below in a cellar. He staged Verity with Steph's car and bag at the farm so the police now want her for murder and I'm wanted by the FBI for gun running with evidence that was planted"

"How the hell did you know where to find him Steph?"  
"I don't know, a feeling, a compulsion to find out more that made me unlock a door to where Ranger was"  
I saw Kai look at Ranger and felt Ranger nod his head, I had no idea what they communicated between them but felt sure it had something to do with me. As Ranger got down to the details of the job he was doing I snuggled against him, feeling the vibration of his voice as he spoke and closed my eyes, not really listening and that was the last I remembered.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I was warm and very comfortable as my mind came awake, I could feel a sensation on my shoulder, feather light, making circles on my skin. My eyes opened quickly as I realized I didn't know where I was only to be looking up into warm brown eyes from a face that was smiling at me.

"Morning Babe, how you feeling?"  
"I don't know till I move, but I feel rested"  
"Good, you fell asleep downstairs while I was talking"

"Sorry"  
"No, I didn't say anything that you don't already know"  
"Who are those men?"  
"Ex rangers, men that I've worked with before. They set up working together taking on contracts and some high end investigative work, they're good at what they do and I've sent work their way"  
"Okay, are you gonna explain why we had to leave the house so quickly"

"Hector was worried that someone knew where we were"  
I frowned at that, I mean I knew Lester wouldn't have been followed and that any safe house couldn't be traced.

"How?"  
"He's not sure but thinks that maybe someone has compromised the system we use for locating trackers and phones"  
"Oh god, my phone"  
"He didn't know and thought that maybe it could have been Lester's or Bobby's"

"Will someone keep watch on the house to see who turns up?"  
"Already have done Babe, FBI and police turned up a couple of hours after we left"  
"Morelli, shit he'd find things there that would make him believe I was there"  
"No, Hector and Santos cleaned the place, moved all clothes and equipment down into a panic room under the garage and Ram released a vapor through the circulation system that would make it impossible to lift any prints"  
"Wow, I didn't know that could be done"

"Yeah it leaves a residue on everything and a smell equivalent to a house being empty and locked up for a long time"  
"So now what?"  
"We need to get up and go get some breakfast"  
Okay not the answer I was wanting but seeing as Ranger was moving away from me he obviously wasn't going to say any more. I watched as he disappeared through a door mentally chastising myself as my eyes followed that beautiful sight of muscles rippling along his back and down his thighs, groaning out loud that a pair of shorts hung low on his hips spoilt the view. I turned over and sat up looking around me seeing a large space where the ceiling was it was actually the roof of the building that came down to the floor on two sides of the room. The wall with the bed on was flat so I assumed it backed onto another building as did the wall where the bathroom and another door was, but the only windows I could see were within the structure of the roof and at the moment there seemed to be a blind allowing a soft light to invade the room. I was so busy trying to figure out how the blinds could be rolled up when they moved making me jump. Ranger was stood in the doorway of the bathroom, fully dressed, dam, and holding a remote in his hands. He laughed as he came over to my side of the bed, bending down to cup my face in his hands then leaning forward to touch his lips to mine, I'm sure I moaned as his tongue danced with mine and then felt him move away. I hadn't consciously closed my eyes but now opened them to see him staring at me, which brought a frown to my face. Shit did he regret bringing me with him, was he going to send me somewhere he felt would be safe for me.

"Now get dressed and I'll see you downstairs"  
He disappeared through the door so I pulled back the cover seeing that I was wearing a large black T-shirt, but without the Rangeman logo on it and black shorts that I had packed the day before. Shaking my mind of Ranger undressing me I walked over to the bathroom and found a room with a shower, basin and toilet all in white with pale brown tiles covering the floor and the walls. Once in the shower the smell of Bulgari assaulted my senses so I used some of the gel on the shelf, a shame that there was just an overhead spray because I was sure my hormones could have used some release from a massager, oh well. Once dressed in comfortable joggers and a T-shirt I tidied the bed and looked for my clothes from the day before. Not being able to find them I left the room going down a flight of stairs, when I opened the door I realized that I was probably in the wrong place and as I turned to go back through the door I heard my name being called out.

"Morning Steph, you sleep well?"  
I turned seeing Quinn coming from a room.

"Yeah, great thanks. Sorry I seem to be lost"

"No problem, we have four floors here including the garage"

I opened the door and we went down another flight of stairs to come out into the large living area.

"Babe what do you want for breakfast?"

I looked round him and saw he had a bowl of granola and yogurt, yeah that was something I was getting to like now.

"Same as you"  
He gave me a look that questioned my answer.

"Yes, I'd actually started eating that before everything happened"  
I sat at the table and started to eat from the bowl that Ranger put in front of me watching as he added some fruit to his own and then sprinkled some onto mine. The three others all had the same so again we sat in an easy silence each devouring their food, to be honest I felt comfortable with them and took the opportunity to take a proper look at them. Quinn had wavy blonde hair that reminded me of how Morelli wore his, always looking like it could do with a trim, his eyes were green like Lesters but they were a different shape so along with his nose that looked as though it had been broken he had a look of someone who'd you'd want on your side. His muscles were evident through his T-shirt and I could see tattoos from under his sleeve but not enough to work out what they were. I remembered him as being taller than Ranger and not enough muscle to make him look out of proportion. Seth had darker skin than me but not as dark as Ranger's with short spiky black hair. His face held a few scars making me wonder what had happened to him. His eyes were a pale brown and there were lines forming around his eyes and mouth. He'd definitely bulked up his muscles, though maybe that's how he presented because I was sure he wasn't as tall as Ranger. Kai had straight brown hair, with dark grey eyes and was good looking; he probably resembled the same body style as Ranger and was the same height. I was broken from my musings when Kai spoke to Quinn.

"You look at that other fella yet?"  
"Yeah, he seems to fit what we want"  
"What's his name?"

"Oh no Ranger you're not having him"

"He's called Jeremy Nolan"  
Before I really thought about it the word came out of my mouth almost shouting it.

"No"

Four pairs of eyes looked up at me and I was sure my cheeks were turning that embarrassing shade of pink.

"Babe?"  
"We had a man named that apply to Rangeman, but when I checked him out he wasn't who he said he was"  
Kai got up and put several sheets of paper in front of me, giving me time to read through it.

"That's the same man, he used another mans name who had the same surname and tried to bluff his way in"

"How the hell did you find that out?"  
"I just had a feeling and the dates he wrote down seemed a bit off, so I did a search on a Martin Nolan, and that's who he is, dishonorably discharged"  
The three of them went silent after that, I didn't know if it was because they were annoyed at themselves or at me. Seth stood behind me, tearing the sheets up and kissing the top of my head.

"You need a job Steph?"  
"No, she already has one"  
I turned to Ranger surprised at how quickly he'd answered for me and saw his lips quirk up into a smile, yeah that definitely made me feel good.

"Okay let's plan for tonight"

Tonight? I hadn't a clue what they were talking about but just hoped that they would include me in whatever they were doing. Quinn stood from the table and walked through a door I hadn't been through before so when Ranger took my hand we all ended up following him. The room we ended up in was big with a large round table and chairs in the center, all along the wall were the papers Ranger had had on his boards in the house, I can honestly say I had no idea when he'd taken them down. We sat at the table where it was obvious that Quinn was taking the lead, making me wonder what the dynamics were of these three men.

"We checked for when the next party is and where and found out that one is going down in the south of the city in a disused fire station tonight"  
"We couldn't get any more on the guy you found Steph, how did you find that name?"  
"I, err, linked him to the kids that had died"

No way was I going to embarrass myself by admitting I'd used Facebook. I looked back to Quinn as he continued to talk.

"Okay the event opens at 2200hrs but doesn't get busy until midnight so that's when I suggest we arrive. Ranger, you and Steph go in together and Kai you watch their backs, Seth you and I will do a perimeter watch. Ear buds and mics so we can stay in touch, though I suspect the noise inside will be ear blasting. What we looking for Ranger?"  
"Hayden, there's a photo of him on the boards, any information we can find about him"  
"What about dealers?"  
"No, the normal sources don't seem to handle this stuff, but maybe Hayden will be selling it, keep an aye out for anyone he gives it to because they have a habit of turning up dead"

I thought about what Ranger had had said about people ending up dead and wondered if Hayden knew what he was doing, I also thought it strange that only a small number had died compared to how many could have taken it, I mean there'd be a lot of people at something like this party.

"Babe what you thinking?"  
"Well I know some kids have died from the drug and that others may have taken it and survived but if it was that good I'm sure there'd be more word on the street about it and the dealers would want to get their hands on it"

I saw Kai shift in his seat, thinking through what I was saying.

"You know I can go with what you're saying, a new drug, if it's good would be distributed in bigger quantities and through various dealers, otherwise how are they making their money?"

I was trying to go through all the reasons people would have for wanting to hurt or kill someone else, yeah so sue me, I thought of the seven deadly sins, well they covered everything didn't they?

"Pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth"  
As each man turned to me I covered my mouth.

"Shit I said that out loud didn't I?"  
They nodded and smiled but then I decided to continue out loud with my musings.

"Okay, let's suppose the drug is a means to an end, what if they were somehow testing it out, Ranger you said the users had no memory of what they did, what if Hayden were getting them to do something for him?"  
His eyebrows went up at that statement and then he smiled.

"You mean like the zombies?"  
I hadn't thought about that, but hell it could be something similar just without the whole lust for someone's brains as an end result"  
"Are the contents similar?"  
"I have no idea, maybe something to look at"  
"What the hell are you two talking about?"  
"Steph got involved with someone who produced a drug that induced a zombie like state in the user, they were extremely violent and were used to feed ideas of someone quite deranged"  
"Okay, maybe I can go with that idea, how do we find out more?"

I just automatically took the lead on the answer, I don't know why maybe because someone was actually taking what I'd said seriously.

"I'll look and see if anything went down the day after the party"

"Steph what size are you?"  
I looked at Kai with a blank expression, why the hell did he need to know that? Ranger came to my aid though clarifying what he was asking for.

"Kai I'll go with you and we can pick up some clothes for tonight"  
"Okay Seth, you and I are gonna check that place out and see if we can get some cameras in place. Steph you okay on your own here?"  
I nodded my head, I mean I didn't expect anyone to come here or know I was here and the place did seem secure. Kai grabbed hold of my hand and pulled me from my chair, placing an arm over my shoulder as he led me from the room.

"Okay let me show you the secrets of this place and why you'll be perfectly safe"  
I went with him across to the lift but he didn't open the door.

"Doors into the garage and lift all need a fob to open them, the windows are mirrored and are bullet proof and if something happens there are emergency buttons on each floor"  
He pointed to one in the lounge area, it was a large red button, how obvious was that.

"If you hit a button it sends an alert out to all of us and this door unlocks, so if you can get in here on your own do it. It's completely fire and bomb proof, so you'd be safe inside"  
"Okay, what if I can't get to a button?"  
"If someone breaks in it sends out an alert and I have this just for you"  
He pulled out another fob that had long leather on the end and looped it over my neck.

"Not the prettiest, but it works, press the button at the bottom up into the body of the plastic. I'll get something better for you while we're out"

"How do I get into the computers?"  
"They're already set up for you, use Ranger121017 as the id and the password is 783741643"  
"Can you write that down because I'm bound to forget it"

I watched as all four of the men donned jackets and went down in the lift, okay so now I was on my own I could probably find some more information to help us out. I walked into the room that was the office and sat down in front of a computer, I used the id and password and was soon staring at the home page. I couldn't believe what I was looking at but most of all I was so surprised, surprised to be looking at a photo of me and thinking it looked too good to be me. I studied it some more trying to work out when it was taken. I was smiling and looking to the side of the camera, hell, were my eyes really that blue or was it just the light? I was wearing a dark blue sweater that came up to my neck so it must have been winter, I had hardly any makeup on but at least my hair was almost behaving. I scrunched up my face and decided to ask Ranger when he got back so hit on the icon that would take me into an area that searched through newspaper columns. I put in the date of the last party, deciding against using names, if there were names recorded they would have come up in the search Ranger did, instead I used the words youths and pressed the return button. I spent hours going from one newspaper article to the next, sheesh, some of the things some kids got up to was just too insane for me to imagine, I mean why would they paint cats in their neighborhood or add sugar to gas tanks and spray painting was obviously a favorite thing to do. It was as I moved onto two days after that my senses began to tingle and when the news report said that some of the offenders were in hospital I knew I was on the right track. A large group of young people had suddenly started to vandalize a truck parked close to where a party had been, it was one of those trucks that carried a shipping container. I printed the page and then downloaded a copy of the photo, that a passer by had taken and probably sent to the newspaper, with the idea of trying to improve it's quality to look for clues. I jumped at a touch on my shoulder and turned to face Ranger stood behind me.

"Have you found something?"  
"I think so, I need to enhance a photo and look at it more closely"

"It's almost time to eat, have you eaten since we left?"  
"No, I got too engrossed with this"

He pulled my chair from the desk and helped me to stand up, my leg felt so much better today so hopefully it should be alright for tonight. As I reached the table I saw plates set out and bowls on the table, but the smell I could sense didn't bring up any recognition.

"It smells amazing, what is it?"  
"Som tam or papaya salad, with Pad Gra Prow, Thai basil beef and rice they're both typical Thai street foods, I'm sure you'll love it"  
We started with the salad, which had noodles in it along with bean sprouts, but the sweet and sour taste had my taste buds going haywire. The beef dish had a more subtle flavor but I loved every mouth full and even remembered not to show my appreciation by moaning. "Thank you Seth that was amazing"  
"Well I reckon you're gonna need all your energy for tonight, the place they're using is big but it has the advantages of being an open space with no hidden rooms" "Did you get a camera set up?"  
"Only one at the entrance, too many people out back" "So what did you find out today Steph"  
"Some of the young people who died were vandalizing a container truck, so I have a photo that I need to enhance"  
"Tomorrow, tonight I'm dropping you off with my sister, she's gonna help sort you out for tonight"  
"Oh, okay" I never thought about men like these having family at least non that lived near and I also wondered what she could do that I couldn't do myself, I mean I've been getting dressed up as a Jersey girl for years.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I can honestly say I learnt something from Quinn's sister, she was feisty and funny and we had a great time getting me ready for this party tonight. But as I stood in front of a full length mirror though I felt like crying, hell, I looked like mutton dressed as lamb, the clothes were just too young for me, too brazen even for me. I felt Jupe behind me and looked at her through the mirror. "I don't know about this"  
"Come on Steph, you look awesome, it's what all the girls will be wearing"  
I looked back at what I looked like. Jupe, short for Jupiter which she hated, had straightened my hair and added temporary violet streaks to it so that it matched the detail from my top, if you could call it that. It was a pale grey, almost silver fabric that to me looked like a push up bra but with a band of material underneath that came to just below my rib cage. From underneath the bust line was a lilac fringe that extended down to my hipbone barely meeting the dark grey skirt that I was wearing. It was so short no way would I be bending over and thankfully came with a pair of full lilac briefs. I had on dark grey leather boots that came to just past my knees and hugged my calves with killer heels. The way that Jupe had done my eye makeup amazed me, she'd used grey and lilac above and below my eyes with lots of mascara but it was the lilac contact lenses that made the difference. Quinn had handed me a necklace in the shape of an eye that was in fact a microphone and a tracker when I pushed in the button that was the eye. "Okay, I suppose I should go downstairs and wait for the guys"  
"Remember, you promised to tell me what's so special about these parties" "I will"  
I laughed at the exasperated sigh she made as she followed me down the stairs, there was no way Quinn would let her go to anything like that, and I didn't blame him. Jupe lived with their father, their mother having died a few years ago, so she was firmly protected by the two men in her life and at 19 I told her she had all sorts of adventures to experience once she was older. For now she was studying to be a doctor, she wanted to join the army once she'd completed the course but again apparently Quinn had given every reason in the world why that might be a bad idea. I waited looking out of the front door and when a black SUV pulled up in front I kissed Jupe on the cheek and headed for the door. I got a shock when I managed to climb in though, three pairs of eyes were staring at me. "Err, are we going?" Seth shook his head and faced forward putting the car in gear and driving while Kai looked straight ahead. "Babe"  
I peered up at him through my lashes dreading to think what he was going to say but was taken aback by the intensity of his eyes. "You like this get up?"  
He nuzzled my neck as he whispered into my ear. "You look sexy, hot and very provocative"  
I did? Wow maybe I should meet up with Jupe more often. "And so seductive I don't want to let you be seen by other men"  
I laughed but a glance told me how serious he was being. "Steph don't forget your ear bud"

The ear bud was really quite clever, it fitted into my ear as though it were some new jewelry trend, a metal that then had thin chains connecting to the two small hoops in my ear, of course it was adorned with a lilac stone. We came to halt just before the building of the party and I let Ranger lift me from the car, then with Ranger on one side and Kai on the other we made our way to the door that would give us access inside. A sideways glance at Ranger allowed me to see that he was wearing black jeans that had tears across them and a black shirt that fell to his hips, his hair was tied back but he hadn't shaved today which gave him a feral look about him. I wondered if he'd managed to hide any weapons but then thought that thought was silly, of course he would. Kai was dressed in similar clothes but he'd gone for washed out denim and a pale blue shirt. Both of them looked so sexy as we walked through the door. The noise and loudness of the music hit as soon as we walked in and Kai disappeared into the crowds. Ranger had said that he would stay very close to me, but not to look as though we were a couple, he'd intervene if I had a problem. I made my way round the room, trying to make out faces, but the flashing colored lights made it impossible to really see anything. Quinn had been right the place was a large empty space with a makeshift bar to one side and a small raised area where the DJ had set up his equipment. There were speakers around the room pumping out the music that had a fast beat to it but wasn't what I usually liked, no the sound of new beat, break beat, acid house, techno and hard core techno was definitely for the hard core followers. In the end I made my way toward a group of girls dancing in the middle of the floor and as nonchalantly as I could began to dance with them as though I were part of their group. As I turned I scanned the crowd but didn't see anything out of place and was actually pleased when one the girls grabbed my hand to go with her to the powder room. It was so much quieter in there and I spent a few minutes just lent against the counter trying to get my ears to stop buzzing, but it was when I was like that, that my ears picked up on a conversation going on in one of the cubicles.

"Rhonda I don't know about this"  
"Oh for heavens sake Amy, you promised me you'd try it"  
"I know, but do you know what it is?"  
"Hayden said it would make you feel soo good" "Rhonda Chandler if I get into trouble you are so going to get it" "Relax will you, stop being so up tight, your Dad thinks we're at mine so what's the problem?" "Okay, here goes"  
I waited for the two girls to come out and then as they washed their hands walked over to stand next to them. "Hey, I was looking for Hayden, he said he had something amazing for me, do you know where I can find him?"  
"He's at the front, right of the DJ" "Thanks" I knew the guys would have picked that up so made my way back onto the floor and then as I danced moved across to the right side of the DJ, okay could I pull off a distraction on Hayden? Maybe, but it was worth a shot. I let the music flow through me and closed my eyes, using my body to follow a slower beat of the music surprised when an arm came around me and I saw Ranger stood looking at me. With his hands on my hips he started to sway my body until I was moving how he wanted me to move and then he started to move his hands over my arms and shoulders, face and neck, pulling me toward him and bending my back away from him one hand supporting me round my hips as his other hand caressed my body. It was like making the same movements as we'd done when we'd had sex, slow and seductive, and I was slowly getting turned on, my body vibrating with need and from the way his jeans were pulling across his groin I think he was feeling it as well. As the music faded before the next one sounded he turned and walked away and I continued with my solo dancing, slowly moving forward. "Babe he has you in his sights, be careful"  
Another touch at my waist and I opened my eyes to see Hayden in front of me, smiling down at me. He didn't do his picture justice, I mean he wasn't that good looking in his photo but in real life he looked sleazy. His hair was thin and badly cut falling in layers to his collar around a face that to be honest was fat, yeah not even chubby. His neck seemed to disappear in with the shape of his jaw. His eyes were large and round, pupils dilated and to be honest I would swear he was already gone on some drugs. His skin was rough and he had a couple of cuts from where he'd shaved and a gold stud in one ear reflected the light. I cringed as he wrapped his body around me, his smell filling my senses, sweet and sickly. "You're one beautiful woman, you know that?"  
I pulled back and smiled up at him, trying like hell not to turn and run. "I need to feel mellow and one with the music"  
"Not drinking?"  
"No alcohol makes me feel ill, I need something different something special"  
"A woman who takes after my own heart, here take this, it will make you feel like you're in a different universe"  
"I need some water to take this, back in a mo"  
I walked away feeling a shudder go through me, he was disgusting probably the only thing he had going for him was a supply of drugs. As I walked past Kai I pressed the tablet into his hand, to all intent and purposes and anyone watching I didn't even look at him. Once in the powder room I splashed some water over my face and used a paper towel to dry myself. As I looked in the mirror my face seemed pale but maybe that was the effect of the bright lights. As the door opened from a cubicle I looked up and saw one of the girls from before, Amy I think she was called, and watched as she came up next to me and washed her hands. "I can't do this"  
"Do what?"  
"I can't get them clean"  
I watched as she kept adding soap and rinsing her hands in the water, eventually I turned off the tap and took hold of her hands. "They're clean Amy"  
"No, they're dirty where I fell, oh god Rhonda, I left Rhonda" "Where did you leave Rhonda?" "I can't remember, but Hayden was with her" "Were you outside the building?"  
"I can't remember"  
"Amy did you take that pill from Hayden?"  
"Yes, and it tasted awful. I don't feel well" "Amy, we need to get you home" "My Dad's gonna kill me" I watched as Amy sank down on the floor, to all intents and purposes she was asleep, then I remembered I had the mic and I needed to get help for Amy and get them to look for Rhonda. "Hey, can you hear me?"  
There was no response, shit, had I broken something or were they busy doing something else? As I sat down next to Amy, holding her in my arms, I was totally unaware of the movement behind me, I mean why should I be watching there, there were four cubicles back there with a toilet inside, so when I felt a hand come over my mouth I was totally confused and then became totally scared as the air I was breathing had a sweet sickly smell that made my head swoon and my mind to sink into blackness.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
I felt so cold, that was the first thought that came into my mind, the second was that I felt nauseous and I had a headache. Then my eyes shot open as I realized I was being jostled around. I tried to move but my hands were trapped behind my back, my eyes had opened to dim lighting that seemed to be flashing on and off. I tried to focus at what was around me and found myself looking at three other women laid out on the floor, were they alive, were they asleep or something else? I hoisted myself into a sitting position glad that at least my legs were free and shuffled back to lean against the wall. It was then that I noticed the walls, floor and ceiling were covered in a padded material but there seemed to be what looked like openings at the top of the wall where the light was coming in. Movement had me falling over and it was then that I realized I was inside some sort of vehicle and that vehicle was moving.

I sat back up trying to think of what to do, in situations like this I knew Ranger would come find me, but here and now, I wasn't too sure. I hadn't had a chance to activate the tracker button and that now took over every other thought, why the hell could it not just have been a tracker like the ones Ranger hid on me. I smiled to myself as I remembered Hector's words; always keep a piece of metal where you can reach it. Jupe thought I was nuts when I used nappy pins on the belt of my skirt, although she did concede they looked kinda racy. I managed to undo a pin at the back and worked the end into the lock, closing my eyes and trying to focus on the feel of the metal. I smiled to myself as the lock gave way and pulled my arms in front of me, immediately pushing the eye of the pendant on the necklace. I walked as best as I could but ended up on my hands and knees as I inspected each of the women, all were alive but none of them reacted to my touch. I checked the back of the place where I was and suddenly thought of the photo I'd downloaded today, shit I was inside one of those containers, did that mean I could end up on a ship sailing to god knows where or being driven on roads all over the country? I couldn't panic but I was finding it hard not to, I couldn't be trapped in here for any length of time, I had to get out, the question was how. Every part of the walls seemed have solid metal behind them even the wall where I thought there should be a door, as I felt the truck take another turn and felt us slowing down I knew I had to do something drastic to get free from here. I pulled each woman's prone body, one by one, and laid them down so they were leaning against what I hoped was the door; I then joined them having one behind me and one at my front. I felt the truck stop but to be honest my heart was beating so loudly I don't think I would have heard anything. I felt the movement of a door and then the coolness of a breeze as it swept into the truck, as it swung open I rolled taking two of the women with me, and seeing one more roll out, oh god I hope I hadn't hurt them but I really didn't have time to think or worry about it. I saw feet move back out of the way and hoping the darkness would give me some cover I rolled underneath the truck between the wheels and then lay there perfectly still on my stomach.

"Shit Hayden didn't I always tell you to make sure they were well inside the truck"  
"I did, I'm sure"  
"Hell you're becoming a liability"  
"No, you need me, I get the women you want and set up the others for you"

"Yeah well not any more"  
I jumped when I heard the shot and cowered back when Hayden dropped to the floor, blood was seeping through his shirt from his chest onto the cold concrete and all I could see were his eyes staring at me and the light reflecting from the stud in his ear.

"Move them back in and put the supplies inside for them, then take the cuffs off, they only have a day before we get back"  
I heard men grunting and carefully lifting the women back into the truck, I had to find out where they were going, I had to find a way to get them free, should I show myself and end up back in the truck? Be there with them, but what then and what if I was shot because I wasn't supposed to be here? I felt my necklace below me and then looked for a way to get it inside the truck, there was no more talking so I took a chance and rolled over to come out on the side of the container, there was my answer sat out in the open, a box, full of water bottles and food, so I slipped the necklace from my neck and dropped it inside the box, ducking down by the wheel. I looked around and saw another truck parked up so quietly ran over to it and went underneath again between the tires.

I watched as the truck drove away, I felt so guilty for leaving those women but I didn't know what else to do, yes I did, I should have stayed with them. I sat hunched up under that truck and let the tears flow, I didn't know what to think, I was such a bad person to do what I did. I think I cried myself dry, because as the last sobs died down I found a new strength, I had to find Ranger and get him to trace that tracker. I crawled along the concrete and came out at the other side, I had no idea where I was and as I looked down at myself I looked a mess and was totally inappropriately dressed. Dawn was coming and it would soon be light I needed to move away from here and somehow get into the city and try to find a way to get help. I kept to the safety of the trucks and slowly made my way to where I thought the main entrance was, yeah, I was inside the confines of a truck park and that meant high wire fences and guards. I spied an empty cab headed out and watched as the driver got out to talk with some other drivers, okay what if I managed to get inside of the cabin, maybe it would work because I sure as hell didn't want to be handed over to the police. Luck was with me as the men talked and as they smoked so I climbed up into the cabin and through behind the seats, now I just had to hope I didn't end up in some obscure place.

I kept an eye on where we were going, pleased that we were headed into the city, I had no idea where Quinn and the guys lived but I knew where Jupe did. Somehow I had to get myself there and came up with an idea, hell I just hoped I was brazen enough to pull it off and the driver wasn't some maniac. I quietly came through between the seats causing the driver to slam on the brakes and come to a screeching stop, he was looking at me with wide eyes and his mouth open.

"I'm sorry, but some guy attacked me and I don't know how to get home, please help me"  
I had tears running down my face and was wringing my hands in front of me, to be honest I wasn't lying to him and I really did feel desperate.

"You want me to call the cops?"  
"Oh god no, my Dad will kill me, please I just need to go home"  
He gave out a sigh and looked at his watch as I kept my gaze on him.

"Okay, where the hell do you need to be"  
I gave him the address for Jupe, well a house number down the road from where she lived and felt so relieved when he pulled to a stop outside the number I had given him.

"Thank you so much for helping me out"  
"No problem, but please take a lesson from this and don't end up in the same situation again"

I nodded my head in response and then made to stand by a gate watching till he disappeared. I knew Jupe lived at the house at the far end of the street so went down a lane and walked along the back of the houses keeping a look out all of the time. People were waking up now, drapes were being pulled back, I could hear dogs barking and people shouting. It felt so normal being here, but nothing about me was normal and I was surprised when that didn't make me want what they had. As I reached the back yard of what I was sure was Jupe's house I actually started to feel calmer, yeah even after what had happened to me, I could never be someone that my mother and Morelli wanted, and that felt all right.

I knocked on the back door praying her father didn't answer and then praying that someone would answer and listened as the key turned in the latch, Jupe's face when she saw me made me realize just how bad I probably looked.

"Jupe can you please call your brother and tell him I'm here"  
"Oh god, Steph what happened to you?"

"Long story kid, trust me you don't want to go to anything like those parties"  
I tried to make light of it because I could see the shock and worry cross her face.

"Please"  
"Come in then"  
"No you look as if you're on your way out, just tell him I'm sat on the back door step"  
As she disappeared I sat down heavily, leaning against the door way letting the sun warm my weary body.

"He says he's on his way, you sure you don't want me to stay?"  
"No, you go, I'll be fine"

I heard the door close and lock, and removed the contacts from my eyes and then closed them, hell I felt so tired. It was the feel of a tingle down my back that had me opening my eyes and there stood in front of me was such a beautiful sight, dressed in the same clothes as last night, his hair lose. I felt his arms come around me, pulling me tightly to him.

"Babe, I thought I'd lost you, I couldn't find you, I'm so sorry"  
"I'm here, I'm safe, I knew you would be looking for me but I got out"  
He held me, rocking me slowly, I think for himself as much as for me, and then I saw the three guys behind him and lifted my face and smiled up at them.

"Let's get you back and sorted out and then you can tell us what happened"  
"You have to find the tracker"  
"It's okay, it doesn't matter"  
"But it does, there are women trapped in a container, the tracker's with them"  
He lifted me in his arms and walked with me to the black SUV, getting in the back with me, still holding me to him.

"The tracker went dead Babe, we don't know where it is"  
"Maybe because it's inside the container, when they get them out maybe it will come back on"  
"Maybe, we'll talk it through okay?"  
"Okay"

I knew I was tired but I was so hyped up that there was no way I could sleep, I needed to tell Ranger what had happened and get Quinn to keep a look for the tracker, I couldn't betray those women not when I had left them to their fate. I know I was fidgeting but I couldn't keep still. Once back in the warehouse I couldn't sit even though my leg hurt and I probably looked a mess all I could do was walk back and forth until everyone came into the lounge area.

"Babe, you're exhausted"

"Please you have to hear what happened"  
"Okay but then you need a shower and sleep"  
So I recounted what had happened at the club and by the truck then waited for some response.

"Aren't you going to say something?"  
Kai came up to me and gave me a hug.

"Hell Steph I just don't know what to say, I'm humbled by your tenacity in freeing yourself"  
"What happened at the club, party?"

"We heard you in the powder room and as we were heading there all hell broke lose. Kids started screaming and running around then fighting broke out. By the time we got to where you were you were gone, there was no obvious sign of how they took you out until we found a small opening in the corner of one of the cubicles"  
"That pill I gave you?"  
"A really strong sedative"  
I couldn't think why anyone would give me a sedative and thought of Amy and how she had passed out on the floor, was Hayden giving different tablets to different people, but why would he do that? Why were there three women in that container and what was he planning to do with them? I continued to pace after Kai let go of me but now there were other arms around me, arms that were familiar.

"Babe, you're on edge, you're going to shower and then sleep"

A shower I could go with, so I turned and allowed him to lift me, carry me up the two flights of stairs, I felt my clothes being taken off me and then the delicious feel of the hot water as it cascaded down my head and body. I felt Ranger washing my hair, massaging my scalp, it felt so good, so relaxing. I was aware of him washing me but it seemed to be a dream, sound had quieted and as he lifted me up wrapped in a towel I felt safe enough to let sleep come over me.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I saw blood pooling on the floor but when I looked up it was Amy laying down next me.

"You left me"

Another head turned towards me, a woman I recognized but didn't know.

"You abandoned us, left us to die"

I tried to speak but no words would come from my mouth, it was as if I'd lost the ability to make any sound.

"It's all your fault, what have you done now Stephanie.

The voice of my mother flooded my brain and then as shoes stepped back from me it was Morelli's face that came into view.

"You're a disaster Cupcake, you get people killed, what the hell were you thinking, why won't you just do as I tell you"

There was a loud bang of a gun and suddenly Hayden's face was in front of me and it was his body that was now covered in blood. His eyes pierced me but his mouth moved.

"Can always rely on you to screw things up"

His face changed and suddenly it was the face of Ranger and the blood was coming from him, but not onto the grey concrete, it was pooling on the floor of the hall in my apartment. I screamed as I tried to move, but hands held me still, I needed to be there with him but watched as he was dragged away.

"Cupcake get it together, he's only a thug"

I continued to scream as Morelli held tightly onto me, and then I was inside a room that I didn't recognize, still being held tightly but that didn't stop the screams that kept on coming. I felt the stab of a needle in my arm, all the time I was struggling to get free but I knew I couldn't fight anymore as my muscles decided to betray my efforts and slowly I gave in to the quiet and darkness.

I felt something tight wrapped around me and the panic set in, my breathing was trying to keep up with the speed of my heart.

"Babe, it's okay, you're safe, and I'm here with you"

The words were quiet and seemed so far away then I caught the smell of Ranger and Bulgari, a smell that seemed so familiar, I felt vibrations against me and the slow thud of a heart beat. I calmed as I focused on the sound and although I couldn't understand what was being said for some reason I knew I was safe.

"Estás a salvo, estoy aquí, nadie te hará daño. Vuelve a mí"

I opened my eyes slowly, afraid of what I might see and saw warm brown eyes looking into mine, but I also saw the lines on his forehead that told me he was worried. As my eyes focused on his face it softened and he leaned forward and kissed the end of my nose, his eyes never leaving my face.

"You okay now?"

I nodded almost as an automatic response, the images and sounds from the nightmare invading my thoughts, how on earth did I ever think I was good enough at my job or being with Ranger. Maybe I spent too long mulling those thoughts around because I wasn't listening to what Ranger was saying.

"Babe, you're lost in thoughts and look miserable, what's wrong"

I couldn't tell him, I was too much of a coward.

"Babe, did you're nightmare upset you that much"  
"How do you know?"  
"I couldn't pull you out of it and Kai got worried, so he gave you something to calm you down"  
"I dreamt of being injected but I thought it was part of the dream"  
"That someone sedated you?"  
I nodded, it was at a time when I really lost it and no matter what anyone said I couldn't shake how I felt.

"Who Babe?"  
"Morelli"  
"Why the hell would he do that to you?"  
I could hear the anger in his voice, did I tell him what happened or not, I didn't know what I'd say.

"Babe?"  
"It was after you were shot, and Tank said you'd probably be going down to Miami. Morelli decided that I needed a break, but I didn't, I needed to work to bring in some money. In the end I went, but I wasn't nice to him and I think the whole thing with Scrogg and then you getting shot just tipped me over the edge. He ended up sedating me"  
I felt him turning my head with his hands over my cheeks making me look at him.

"I never knew or I would have been there for you, or taken you with me"

"I don't know what was wrong with me but everything just seemed to get on top of me at the time, but the dream kept telling me I'd let those women down and screwed up again"  
"No you didn't, don't ever let anyone tell you that, you are strong, resilient and you would help anyone if you could, you couldn't help Amy tonight but we will"

"Thank you for knowing what to say to me"

"I"

That's as far as he got when I heard a noise at the door, Ranger was sat up with his gun in his hand inching himself in front of me.

"Ranger, Steph, we got a hit on the tracker"  
Ranger put his gun back on the cabinet and then turned to me with a smile on his face.

"Babe it seems fate keeps getting in the way, but we will finish that conversation"

Shit I didn't really want that conversation to happen, maybe he'd forget about it. I forgo a shower in order to get downstairs, pulling on joggers and a T-shirt over a set of underwear, then headed downstairs finding the guys in the office looking at a computer screen that had a map on it with a small blue dot beeping. I couldn't work out where the map was showing but could see it was an island somewhere.

"Where is that?"

"Just North of Key West"  
"They must have driven there to get there so soon"  
I turned to Seth as he said that trying to remember where I'd been when I managed to escape from the container.

"I remember being in a fenced area with lots of trucks"  
"Maybe they were changing drivers or it was somewhere they felt was safe enough to meet up at before they drove down"  
"Babe, any ideas of what they're up to?"  
"No, but something's niggling in the back of my head, can I use a computer?"  
Quinn nodded to one so I sat down and logged in, pleased that I remembered the password and id. I went into Facebook and remembered what Hector had said, not to use any social networks. I wasn't sure how long it would take to set up a fictitious name so I crossed my fingers and used Mary Lou's login, praying she wouldn't find out. I ignored the things on her page, I didn't want to know if I was the subject of any conversations, and put in Rhonda Chandler into the search. There were a lot of women with the same name so I narrowed it down to those who lived in New York City and slowly started the task of opening each one. The third was the one as I recognized the photo so started to look through her pictures, there were a lot but I hit the jackpot with a picture of her and her friends at a restaurant, sat next to Rhonda was Amy. The date was February 14th, so I found that date in the feeds and discovered that Amy's name was Amy Newhart. I logged out of Facebook feeling instantly better and input her name into a search along with New York City as where she lived and an age between 19 and 29. It didn't take long for the search to complete and I was sat reading the results when I felt Ranger behind me.

"Babe you look worried, what did you find?"  
"Shit Ranger her family's worth a fortune, her father is CEO of a large pharmaceutical company"  
"What are you thinking?"  
"I think they're kidnapping people and holding them for ransom"  
"The drugs?"  
"A distraction, a drug that isn't successful on the streets, but given to a number of random people causes everyone to look in the wrong direction"

By now Quinn and Kai had gathered round as well, Quinn was frowning as I gave my idea of an explanation.

"So they use a drug that they know causes people to get violent and die, whilst their intended targets are from wealthy families that they can demand a ransom from?"  
"Ranger you said you found no dealers with it or any evidence that it was on the streets, and it's only turned up in specific places"

"Shit Ranger it's worth following up on"  
I turned to Ranger as he stood thinking, shit did he think it was a stupid idea, I mean I knew it was a bit out there.

"I think it's an excellent route to follow up. Any ideas on how we do that?"  
"Well the family isn't going to involve the police, so a victim wouldn't be reported as missing and if their loved one is returned after payment no one would be any wiser"

I agreed with what Kai had said, but we still would need to rescue Amy and the others. I waited hoping someone would suggest that rather than it being me. Ranger looked at me and I'm sure he knew what I was thinking.

"So we need to go down to this place near Key West"  
"We're in, can you get more men?"  
"We'd usually use seven for something like this"  
I looked from man to man as they had this conversation praying I would be involved.

"If I get Santos and Hector to go down to Miami the assumption will be that they are going to the office down there"  
"Reco would be good to have with us"  
"Is he around?"  
"Yeah, he was with some private company out in Syria but he didn't like how they operated, a bit too grey for him, so he's back. We asked him to come in with us but he said he'd think about it but he'd do it for you"  
"Okay so how do we get to Key West?"

"Use our bird of course"  
"I'm not even going to ask"

Okay so it looked like we had a plan, Ranger disappeared to get in touch with Lester, Quinn was going to talk with someone called Reco and Seth was going to get our flight organized, I looked at Kai wondering what I could do.

"Seth do you have the exact location for Amy?"  
"Sure, how about you find who owns it and the layout for the place?"  
"I can do that"  
I went to the computer that had the map still displayed and zoomed in on the location then on another computer brought up Google Earth until I had the same location. Then using street view took a virtual trip down the road until I could see the entrance. Brown & Son import and export company. That seemed so lame as a name, I know Bobby had that as a last name, but surely if you were in that business you'd want something that had a ring to it. I went onto an app that searched company records surprised that the company didn't really have much information and Brown wasn't the named owner, it seemed to be some kind of Shell Company that was in charge. There was only this one address listed but there was a phone number given so I typed that into a search to discover it originated in Colombia but was no longer in use. On a whim I put the name Brown into a Colombian translation program and came up with Moreno. That had a better ring to it, so why hadn't they used it? Okay I needed to find out what was in this place in terms of buildings. I always found the internet interesting in that it carried everything that had ever been put on it especially if you went several pages back into the search, so from the street view I found out the name of the road and worked out what the number would have been by looking at neighboring places and input that into a Google search. Seven pages later I found the realtor that had sold the place five years ago and they'd left a pdf showing a plan, with dimensions and a description. On a whim I made a note of the places in the area and decided to look at the building next door to Brown's, that had a for rent sign outside of it so I easily found plans for that building as well. I printed several copies and stapled them together then went to find Ranger. I found him packing his bag in the bedroom, checking several weapons for ammo.

"What will I need?"  
"You sure about this?"  
"Yes, you told me we would solve this problem together"  
"I know, I just don't want to put you in danger"  
"I know, but I'll be fine and I won't get in the way or cause you to worry about me"  
He smiled as if to say, yeah right.

"Well not intentionally"

"What have you been up to?"  
"I found the name of the building, an import & export company and I have the plans for the place printed out"  
We both turned as Seth walked in carrying a pile of clothes in his hands and putting them on the bed.

"These are yours Steph"  
I checked over the pile seeing the clothes I'd worn travelling here and my joggers and T-shirt but then was mortified at finding two sets of underwear. I know I was blushing and looked down at my feet, I felt so embarrassed that he'd handle these and organized them to be washed.

"Thanks Seth"  
"Hey, I have three sisters, I'm used to sorting out bras and panties, and yours are kinda cute"

Ranger gave him a look that had him backing out of the room and winking at me, in some ways he reminded of Lester; that would be something Lester would say.

"Leave in 1 hour, rooftop"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
An hour later I was stood on what Seth called the rooftop looking at our mode of transport. We'd all met in the garage so I'd assumed we were taking a car but no, I'd been led out through a side door, down along a corridor and up another two flights of stairs to find us here. As we came out through the door I'd heard the steady drone of an engine getting closer and as it came closer experienced the whirling of the air as a very sleek looking helicopter landed. Thank goodness I'd decided to secure my hair into a pony tail at the back of my head. Ranger had kept me close to him until the blades slowed down and stopped then I'd watched as Kai and Quinn loaded it up with boxes.

"That everything?"

Quinn asked, at a nod from all around he then proceeded to climb inside. Ranger took our bags to stow away and then looked at me. I know I hesitated, hell I hated to fly in a plane, I wasn't too sure about getting inside something like this. Ranger started toward me but Kai got to me first, I'm sure he must have seen how nervous I was because he literally picked me up in his arms and walked across the space to the helicopter and hoisted me in through the door.

"You'll love it"

He threw at me as he followed me in. Seth was sat by the window in a triple seat so I sat next to him while Ranger pulled the straps over my shoulder and pulled them tight before he sat down next to me. Quinn and Kai were at the front and looked to be flying the thing, so grabbing Ranger's hand tight in mine I closed my eyes shut. I felt vibrations building up and the noise became really loud and as I felt us lifting up and tilting forward I think I was also squeezing Seth's hand tight to try and anchor myself.

"Shit girl I think I've lost feeling in my hand, you've got a hell of a grip"

I opened my eyes to see him smiling at me, but I was still held on tight to Ranger. Ranger released my hand much to my dismay but then pulled down earphones over my head so I could hear Quinn and Kai talking.

"Okay Babe?"  
I nodded and smiled, then dared myself to look through the window I was spellbound at the sight below, we were following the estuary down toward the sea, banking and turning to follow the coast. I could see houses below that must have cost a fortune, swimming pools beside them and the beach and sea next to them. I felt Ranger squeeze my hand and then point at an area that had lots of buildings and people milling around.

"Point Pleasant"  
I looked for something I would recognize and wasn't disappointed to see the rides and huts of the pleasure park. Okay maybe flying in a helicopter wasn't that bad. The helicopter went further out to sea making my sight seeing a bit boring, so I snuggled against Ranger, feeling his arm come over my shoulder, and closed my eyes.

I came awake with a start as the door to the helicopter slammed shut and watched as a man made him self comfortable opposite me, then we were lifting back up into the air.

"Babe this is Reco, Reco Steph"

He nodded his head to me giving me an opportunity to look at him. In some ways he was similar to Ranger, the same skin tone and dark hair, though his hair was shorter and his eyes weren't as dark. He probably would have been good looking except for the swollen nose and angry cut above his eye.

"What happened to you?"  
I listened in to the conversation from Seth directed at Reco.

"That dam company I was with hadn't a clue, we got caught up in a skirmish that ended up with hand to hand fighting, never should have happened and I think we were delivering weapons to them. I'd had enough so came back home and told them what they could do with themselves"  
"Where were the weapons from?"  
"God knows, they looked quite new, but could have come from anywhere"  
"You finished with them for good?"  
"Oh yeah, I dropped a message to my old CO and let him know what was happening"

"Good for you, mercenary groups like that give us all a bad rep"

"So what's the plan?"

"Pick up reinforcements and go save some women"

"She one of them?"  
I tensed at that, I mean not the woman part but the fact that he would think I was one of the women that needed saving. Seth looked at me before replying.

"Hell no, she's with us"  
"Okay so what the hell is going on then"

I listened as Ranger took over the conversation watching as Reco gave me an appraising look when he described how I found him and I'd been shot. He raised his eyebrows as Seth took over and explained what had happened at the party. When the conversation focused on where we were heading I dug into the rucksack at my feet and handed out the plans I'd found.

"More than a pretty face then"

Seth shook his head and smiled, now what was that about? I was brought out of my silence when I heard my name, well the name Ranger used.

"Babe, what else is on this street?"  
I handed out printed pictures I'd screen shot from Google Earth and passed those out, then talked through what we'd find in the area.

"It's a strange place, a real conglomerate of businesses. There's a small diner down the road on the opposite side. A play area with a car park next to it and then what looks to be an abandoned building on the other side, the plans for that are at the back of the plans for the import, export company where the women are"

"What's at the back?"  
"It looks like a swamp area"

"Okay, so where we headed for?"  
"Meeting with Santos and Hector, they'll have transport and were sorting out accommodation"

"Hell I've not seen Santos for ages, what's he up to now?"

"Works for me, he still does the odd contract"

Okay now that the conversation was about Rangeman and how it operated I tuned out and closed my eyes, I didn't go to sleep though, I was just too nosey listening in.

I lost track of the time we were in the air and was so pleased when we seemed to be descending, a look out of the window showed a small airfield with cars and vans parked up. As the engines died down I removed the earphones and undid my harness, standing up to stretch out the kinks from my muscles having been sat for so long, then allowed Seth to help me out and down onto solid ground. I turned as I heard a familiar voice.

"Beautiful, how you doing?"  
"Lester"

I walked over to him and allowed him to lift me up in the air, feeling a kiss to my head as he put me back down on my feet, turning I saw Hector and walked up to him, hugging him and again feeling the kiss to my head.

"How's leg?"  
"Good, though the stitches are pulling"

"Need to come out"

I knew that but wasn't sure who to ask for that, I mean I didn't want to walk into somewhere with a bullet wound. I went back to the helicopter and claimed my bag then followed Lester to where the cars were parked, surprised when he slid open the door to a van that looked to have seen better days.

"There are two cars back at the motel we're at, seemed to make sense in having something like this as it blends in better"

I looked down at what I was wearing, black cargo trousers, black sweater and cat boots, almost the same as everyone else except for Lester who had a jeans and a light blue T-shirt on.

"Don't worry I threw in some other clothes for you"  
He wiggled his eyebrows at me making me realize another man had handled my underwear, hell I hoped he'd not packed anything too raunchy. The bags and boxes were loaded into the van and the men all got into to the back while I sat up front with Lester, I watched the surrounding buildings pass by, all low level structures spread along the road we were travelling on, shops intermingled with restaurants and motels. Lester pulled off the main route and swung a right slowing down as he entered into a parking area., but as we pulled up in front of a low level building I looked over to Lester.

"Best I could do Beautiful"

Sheesh, if this was the best he could do I'd hate to think what his worst could be like. It was a dive, rubbish littered the parking area and paint was peeling from the wooden shuttering, I even thought I saw a hole in the roof, god knows what it would be like inside. As I stepped through the door I could see no redeeming features.

"What's wrong princess, not up to your standards?"  
I glared at Reco as he pushed past me and determined there and then that I would bite my tongue and show him I was made of stronger stuff, I'd been in places worse than this catching skips and I'd lived to tell the tale. There were two bedrooms leading from a small lounge area with two single beds in each, linens that were stained though I think they'd been washed, I sure hoped so. One bathroom with a small square shower that had black mold in the spaces between the tiles, a toilet and sink that seemed clean, if you ignored the yellow stain where the drip from the tap ran. Back in the lounge I saw a small cupboard in the corner with a sink on top and an oven sat next to it on a formica top. A kettle was on the shelf but I really didn't like the idea of opening the cupboard above it to see what other equipment there was. There was decent looking couch and a couple of chairs sat on top of a dirty brown colored carpet. Okay I can deal with this, we won't be here for long and there was always the diner down the road. I watched from the doorway of the smaller bedroom as Quinn started to unpack a box, hell we could invade a small country with the arsenal he placed on the bed. I heard Ranger behind me and smiled as he was obviously taking charge now that we were here. Yeah he had that look, no nonsense look, but god he looked and sounded so hot.

"We need to plan out our surveillance. Quinn, you and Kai see if there's any way we can access from the back. Santos, you and Steph do surveillance of the street from the diner. Reco, you and Seth take the car park and play area; Hector and I will go through the abandoned building next door. Meet back here in two hours"

With some clean clothes I went into the bathroom to change, deciding that jeans and a colored T-shirt were more appropriate and came out to find Lester waiting for me. Outside I squealed as an arm encircled me and pushed me against the wall.

"Be careful Babe"  
I felt a gun being pushed into the waist of my jeans and turned to see Lester watching us.

"You ready now?"  
I leaned into Ranger and surprised him when I pushed my mouth to his, circling his lips with my tongue before pulling away.

"I am now"

I left Ranger shaking his head staring after me, yeah I think I managed to shock him and to be honest I shocked myself at how forward I'd been.

Lester drove the old van along the road, going quite slow for him, but it gave me a chance to observe what businesses were still here and open. We passed another cheap motel, but it looked busy with cars parked in front of each room, there was now a Chinese take away instead of a burger place then a small parade of shops hosting a launderette, small grocery store and pharmacy. Enough for tourists who decided to stop here. The diner had been painted on the outside but we managed to find a spot to park in front. Lester took hold of my hand as we entered into the dimly lit interior. It had an old world feel to it with round booths at the windows and high fixed stools in front of a long bar. I suppose we were quite late for coming in, the dinner crowd having been and gone. Lester led me to a booth by the window and then passed me a menu. I hadn't realized how hungry I was, hell I hadn't eaten since New York.

"What are you having?"  
"I think the all day breakfast will fill the hole, oh and a coffee please"  
A waitress appeared at our table and I smiled up into a somber face. She was maybe in her forties, hair dyed blond with too much makeup on, she looked tired as well.

As Lester finished his order I made polite conversation.

"Long day, what time do you finish?"  
"Yeah really long day and those assholes over the road don't make it easy"  
"How do they manage that?"  
Yeah my interest was piqued now because I had a feeling she was referring to the one we were interested in.

"In and out for coffee all the time, then breakfast and lunch and they just left with dinner, you'd think they were feeding an army in there"  
"Oh I thought they'd be closed by now?"  
"Nah, always someone there, but yesterday they suddenly upped their numbers from two to seven and that don't count the passing tourists coming in"  
She sighed as she finished the list for our order and came back with our coffee.

"Sorry luv, I didn't mean to rant on at you"  
"Hey, no problem, I couldn't do what you do and stay sane"  
She left us alone and Lester just looked at me.

"I don't know how you do it, but we now know there are two guards, two men and the three women"  
"That's if they're feeding the women"

"Okay seven men to contend with"

When the meal came I thought I'd gone to heaven, lots of bacon with eggs, sausage, hash browns and sliced white bread covered in butter. As I wiped my plate clean with my last piece of bread I felt full and satisfied.

"Hell I don't know how you can eat that and still look like you do"  
"Yeah well cereal and omelet weren't going to do it for me today"  
"You ready to go?"  
"Yeah, let me visit the powder room first"

I wasn't stupid, I could get washed in here at the same time and not have to use that bathroom back at the motel, and the idea of sharing the room with seven men wasn't giving me a happy smile. As I came out of the diner and climbed into the van Lester was sat motionless watching the gates across the road.

"Car just went in and there were two guards there"  
"Does that mean they feel the place is secure on the other sides?"  
"I think so, they have cameras up at the gate and each corner that look to be scanning the area"

"You think they'll have other sensors as well?"  
"Not sure"

We drove in silence back to the motel, I suppose in the dark it didn't look as bad. Lester knocked three times before we went in and I could see guns going back into their hiding places. We were all sat in the lounge area, some on the floor, allowing me to sit between Lester and Ranger.

"Lester?"

"Two guards out front, cameras at gates and each corner, scanning the area. Seven people all together maybe plus the women"  
"Way to go Santos"  
"Actually it was Steph who got hold of the numbers"  
I saw Reco give me a look as if to say that he thought Lester was just making it up, what the hell was with that guy?

"Quinn"  
"No access in or out at the back, it's not a feasible entry or exit point and no evidence of it ever being used"  
"Reco"

"There's a grassy area beyond the car park and far enough away from the playground not to raise concerns. We saw five men altogether, all armed, two at the front as you said Santos but the rest seemed to be taking it in turns to guard a large container on a truck. Two men were patrolling the area and one who kept walking about on his phone. They're using an area between the main building and the swamp area and seem to be using a small cabin as their base. There was one of those mobile toilets next to the truck"  
"Okay, Hector and I got into the building next door, totally empty and disused. The first floor windows look out onto the main building but not to the area you saw. We saw a car pass us driving toward the back"  
"Yeah that was the guy who then spent his time on his phone"

"Okay then, lets continue surveillance in the morning and then plan to go in at dusk"  
"Ranger could we just steal the truck and drive off with it rather than moving the women out into the open?"  
I knew in my heart it was a good idea but was waiting for all the reasons not to do that come from the men around me.

"You drive a truck princess?"  
"I've been known to"  
I wasn't going to tell him I stole it when I was trying to chase down a skip. I saw Ranger and Lester exchange glances, but then they would know about that.

"I think that's a good idea Steph, less chance of them getting caught in the crossfire"

"Thanks Seth"

It was already late but the talk continued and as it centered on weapons, assault and formations I tuned out and snuggled into Ranger.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

As I came awake I was aware of a slow rhythmic beat under my ear and then a feather like touch along my jaw and across my cheek.

"Morning Babe"  
"How'd you know I was awake?"  
"Your breathing changes and your eyelids flutter"

I opened my eyes to see I was laid on top of Ranger still on the couch, oh well that solved my previous worry of where I would sleep for the night. My hand unconsciously traced a circle on Ranger's shoulder and I heard a noise coming from the room next door.

"I guess that's our cue to move"  
"Guess so, get into the bathroom before the rush starts and wear black"

I pulled a towel from a bag that I assumed Lester had brought and stretched as I walked into the bathroom. Once I'd finished and splashed cold water over my face I braided my hair and came out to the smell of coffee and bacon. Had someone dared to use the kitchen area? I spied a McDonalds bag and breathed in the smell smiling at Hector who was getting things out.

"Thought you'd appreciate this"  
"Thanks Hector, you're a savior"

He laughed as he gave me a coffee, just as I liked it with extra cream, and a bacon sandwich, with extra sauce on. I stood leaning against the counter top watching as the men came and took what they wanted, leaving Ranger with his black coffee and a sandwich that looked to have salad in it, such a waste of a good bread bun. As I finished and threw my rubbish in the bin I noticed people leaving and looked at Ranger.

"Am I at the diner?"  
"Not this morning, you're with me"  
"Oh"

He wrapped a pink scarf around my neck and a pink shawl around my shoulders but he didn't get my ESP of explaining why he was doing it. We left the room and with his arm around my waist we walked onto the road and started toward the derelict building. I hadn't really taken much notice of the weather till now, it was a beautiful day, a blue sky with small wisps of white cloud and even now quite warm.

"I forgot it would be much warmer down here"  
"Yes and it will get hotter"  
"I hope those women are okay inside that container, it'll get like an oven inside there"  
"I know, let's just hope that's where they are though"  
I hadn't thought of that, I suppose I just assumed they would be but maybe the box with my tracker was still in there and the women had been taken somewhere else. I began to second doubt what I'd thought and knew I was starting to frown.

"Babe, I'm sure you're right so stop worrying, we'll find them, okay?"  
"Okay"

As we came to the entrance of the building we were going to be going into Ranger removed my scarf and shawl and bundled them in a pile behind a small wall. Ah, now I understood, people would remember the color I'd worn, detracting from the fact that we were both in black, plus pink would stand out if we were going to be staking out the place next door. He led the way along a corridor and up some stone stairs bringing us into a room with a window that had the best vantage point then squatted down with binoculars in front of him. I heard the sound of a car and ducked down, probably the one we'd seen the night before.

"Was it a deep red Ford SUV?"  
"Yes"  
"That's the one that arrived last night"

After half an hour we heard it leave so I sat on the floor with my back to the wall feeling myself getting antsy with such a boring activity. I took the plans out from the bag Ranger had brought and started to look through the plans for the building we were in.

"You know we could probably see more from the roof"  
"I couldn't find the access yesterday"

"I'll go look"  
I saw the look that Ranger gave me, then his expression changed, yeah at last he was going to trust me not to do anything stupid. I backtracked down the stairs to get my bearings and started to follow the plan, the problem was walls had been added and removed since the plan had been done. I ended up going to the back of the building and found a different set of stairs that had been added to the end of the building but did go up to the roof. I made my way back to Ranger and surprised myself when I was stood behind him before he noticed me.

"Babe, how did you do?"  
Dam, he knew it was me.

"I found them, they've been added on"  
"Not on the outside?"  
Yeah like I would go up something resembling a fire escape.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that"  
"Wow Ranger apologizing"

"Smartass"  
"Out loud?"  
He nodded as he packed away his things and then allowed me to lead the way until we came to the door leading out onto the roof and then he took the lead, keeping low and scouting out the area.

"Good call Babe, but we could be visible as well, stay behind me and stay low"

After an hour I totally regretted my suggestion of the roof. The sun was hot up here and the air was so still I felt like I was in a sauna. The good thing though was we'd seen two men bring out one woman at a time for them to use the toilet next to the container and we'd seen boxes of food going in which I assumed was from the diner. All of the women were quiet, very subdued and my heart went out to them, they probably felt that there was no way out for them and if they'd been threatened they would be quiet and submissive.

"If those boxes are from the diner then that means there are only four guards plus who ever drives the car"

"I agree, let's head back and see what the others have"

I was thankful to be getting out of here and relished the cool once inside the building. We picked up my shawl and scarf but this time I tied the scarf around my head and then we slowly walked back to the motel. I downed a bottle of water and was just opening up another when people started to come back, once again we sat in the lounge area but this time it was to plan out our rescue so I was all ears listening in.

"The best way in is through the front gate"

"Cameras?"  
"All pointing out, once in I can disable them, control box is in hut the guards use"

"Okay so how do you propose we approach?"  
"I could do a distraction"  
I mean I'd done one similar to this when we were after a skip, I'd been the damsel in distress lent over the hood of the car wearing a very short skirt.

"It could work and if we use the van we could hide in there and then walk right in"

I saw the look that Reco gave me, I wondered why he had such a low opinion of me, or was it just women in general? Every other suggestion that was made seemed to exclude me from being involved and okay I could see their point, I mean there were only four men to take down and then someone to drive the truck, but they did agree that I would be the best one to get the women out of the truck and into cars explaining that we were rescuing them.

"Okay then we have a plan, maybe we need some food while we check out equipment"  
I looked over at Kai as he made that statement totally agreeing with him.

"I'll go, there's a Chinese down the road"

"I'll drive and wait while you go in"  
"Good idea Kai"  
With a list in my hand and money in my pocket I started to follow Kai out of the door.

"Estefania"  
"What Hector?"  
He walked over to me and took my wrist then fastened a watch around it.

"Same as before"  
"This button is a panic button and this is a mic?"  
"Si"

"You mean we have to look out for the princess as well as rescue those women, unbelievable"  
Ranger's face turned to stone and I was sure had Lester not grabbed him from behind he would have gone for Reco. Kai pushed me through the door and toward one of the black Porsche SUVs that had somehow magically appeared, and helped me in. Once driving I had to break the silence.

"What's with Reco, why does he hate me?"  
"Not you it's any woman, he was used, a girl got close to him but she was undercover for the men we were after. He fell hard and at the end she nearly fucking killed him. Ranger shot her as she pushed a knife into his back. He won't trust any women any more, not just you"

I could understand now, he'd see me as a threat, someone who might betray him, someone he couldn't trust. I couldn't begin to know how that felt, I mean to love someone so much and for them to not only betray you but try to kill you, I wasn't sure if I could cope with that so I needed to keep out of his way, but we'd be home soon anyway, but we wouldn't be. I was still wanted for murder. I was pulled from my thoughts as Kai parked in front of the Chinese.

"I'll watch from out here okay"  
"Yeah"

There was one other woman in front of me and soon I was placing my order, I knew it would take a while as there were eight meals for them to put together. As I waited I kept looking around to see Kai sat in the car watching, but the place was filling up fast and became so packed I couldn't even see through the window. The smell coming from behind the counter in the kitchen was heavenly and I wasn't taking any notice of the people behind me, I was willing the cooks to hurry up. I felt an arm slide around my waist making me jump and then tense up. I felt something cold inside my T-shirt pushing against my back and made to turn around.

"Oh Miss Plum, what a surprise"

I pushed the mic button on my watch, I just hoped that Hector would be listening or at least recording the conversation that would undoubtedly unfold.

"There's a mighty high price on your head you know, shame they want you alive, but I can work with that"

I froze at that comment, I had no idea the police would do that, hell did that mean my face was plastered in every police station as a fugitive?

"Now we are going to walk through the kitchen and to the back of this place and you are going to behave"

He had to push me to get me to move and the looks and language that came after us made me so angry. At the door he literally pushed me through it using my head to open it, just about knocking me out. Once out in the brightness of the sun and the headache I now had made me stumble, but his arm around my waist picked me up and threw me into the backseat of a car. He pushed me down so my face was on the seat and he was just about laid on top of me.

"Drive"

The car moved out slowly and turned, I presumed to get onto the main road but we hadn't gone far when I felt it slowing down and turning again. A quick stop and we were moving. This time he lifted himself off me and allowed me to sit up. I rubbed at my head seeing blood on my hand and then turned to glare at the man. Shit it was Verity's friend, the man with the scar, the man who had shot him.

"It was you who killed Verity"  
"How would you know that?"  
"I was there"  
Okay maybe I could twist the truth and get him to confess, would that be enough to get the charges against me dropped? I hadn't noticed we'd stopped and looked out of the window, a tinge of fear skittering through me, we were parked in front of the container. He dragged me out of the car, keeping the gun pointed at me, and I noticed the driver get out as well. Did that mean scar face here was the one who kept driving in or had he just arrived.

"Blakeley why the hell did you pick her up?"  
"She's a wanted fugitive, worth a lot of money"  
"What so you're gonna walk into a police station and give them your name and address?"

"Why not?"  
"Who the hell is she anyway?"

"That fucking Bounty Hunter that was following Verity"  
"What the hell is she doing here?"  
"No idea"

I could see him working through something in his head and then the look he gave Scarface as he pointed a finger toward him had Scarface backing up a step. Yeah I would have backed up as well at the look on his face, I mean he wasn't such a bad looking guy, tall with dark hair and skin, dressed smart as well. Not as old as Blakely but he had that feel of authority about him.  
"She didn't kill him did she?"  
"No, it was brilliant, I got rid of Verity and threw the blame on her"  
"You stupid dope head"  
"Why?"

"Killing people is gonna attract attention"

"Well Verity served a purpose and Hayden was using the set up to get women for himself"

I hadn't really thought about why I'd ended up at that truck, I thought it was because I was with Amy. I felt a shiver go through me at the idea of Hayden getting his hands on me.

"I knew that, it would have pointed the finger at him. But now we've got more trouble"

"How"

"She's in with that Ranger bloke"  
"Yeah well we set him up as well"

"How the fuck did you think you could do that?"

"We left the guns there and then Verity produced some papers and photo shopped him in with the guns"

"Why am I surrounded by idiots, do you realize if she followed us here she knows"  
"So I'll finish her off, problem solved"  
"What! You think she came on her own?"

He threw his arms up in the air and turned around as though he wasn't sure what to say next. I watched and listened as these two men argued, obviously Scarface wasn't too bright so it must have been the other man who was in charge.

"Maybe having her here isn't such a bad idea, I'm thinking it might just be to our advantage. Cuff her and lock her in with the others. Sort it Blakely, I have to finish the negotiations on those women and then I can get back to my original business deal"

We both watched as the boss got in his car and drove away, down past all the buildings and I presume onto the main road. Scarface roughly turned me around taking my arms and locked one handcuff onto my wrist. I think it was the sound of the cuff and it being tightened around my wrist that snapped me out of the stupor I was in. I grabbed his arm to pull him closer and then threw back my elbow into his gut, he immediately bent over and let go of me so turning I did my best move on him. I held his shoulders and brought my knee up rejoicing in the sound it made when it hit it's target and than as he fell I gave his head several hard kicks. Once unconscious I went through his pockets and found the key to the handcuff and then dragged him over to the truck. I didn't want to let him go, he was my alibi. I was surprised that no guards had appeared, okay the ones at the front gate wouldn't know anything was wrong, but where were the other two? I quickly pulled his arms behind him and then dropped to my knees when I saw the back of the container open and then laughed at the sight I saw. Amy was peering through the gap.

"Amy, you okay in there?"  
"Hell yeah, you need some help?"

"Where are the guards?"  
"Locked up in the toilet"

"Wow, good for you. Is everyone else all right?"  
"Yeah, we just need to get out of here. I recognize you, I think"  
"Yeah, that party in New York"  
"Did they get you too?"  
"No, we came to rescue you"

As we spoke we dragged Scarface and with the help of the other women pushed him into the container and locked it up. I used a piece of paper to pick up his gun and then the four of us all climbed inside the cab with me somehow in the drivers seat. I searched for the keys grateful when Amy found them in the glove box and went through the procedure of starting it.

"Okay stay down, there are still two guards at the entrance and I don't know where the man in charge raced off to, so hold on"

I engaged the clutch and put it in gear and then stepped on the gas as I released the clutch, we were going fairly fast or it sure felt like it. I hit my panic button and watched as the guards raised their weapons at us. I heard bullets pinging from where they hit the front and ducked as one went through the windscreen to my left but that just made me more determined than ever, so regardless of whether they were stood in front of me or not I surged forward, actually glad they dove out of the way. There was a resounding crash as we plowed into the gates and they gave way, a few bumps as the tires went over them and then I had to really fight hard with the steering wheel to get it to turn and not land us in the building opposite. I was aware of a few blasts from horns of cars but lets face it this thing was bigger than them. Once we were driving straight on the road I changed gears so we were travelling at a reasonable speed and looked over at the women next to me. They looked tired and dirty and they sure smelt but each one had an enormous smile on their faces.

"Everyone okay"  
"Sure are. That was amazing. What's your name?"  
"Steph"  
"Are we gonna drive home Steph?"

"That was amazing what you did"

"Steph we've got company, cars are catching up to us"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I looked in the mirrors and smiled easing up on the accelerator; hell I didn't realize I was going so fast. A black SUV sped past me and one stayed behind the truck and as I eased on the brakes they kept with me.

"Steph what's going on"  
"These men came with me to help get you out of there"

"So why are they aiming guns at us?"  
"They don't know we already dealt with the bad guys"  
"Wow, they're hot"  
"Janice that is so not appropriate, but I see what you mean"

I smiled as I shut down the engine and then opened the door, being lifted down and into a very tight embrace from Ranger.

"You scared the shit out of us"  
"Sorry, things just happened"

"You okay?"  
He stepped away but kept his hands on my shoulders looking at the blood running down my forehead.

"Seth move the women into the cars"  
I watched as Seth, Kai and Lester each helped them down and into the cars, keeping them together and then turned back to Ranger.

"We need what's in the truck"

"Why's that Estefania?"  
"Scarface is in there"  
"Who the hell is Scarface?"  
"He's the one that killed Verity and set you up"  
"He confessed princess?"

I looked at Reco and lifted my eyebrows; okay I still couldn't just lift one and turned to Hector.

"Hector please tell me when I hit the mic button you were recording it"

He smiled as he got out his phone and seemed to be playing around with it.

"All here Estefania"  
"Okay, that's good. Now what?"

"Now princess we find you a nice place to get cleaned up"  
I wasn't sure if he was joking with me or not, but when we pulled into a Sheraton Hotel I decided probably not. I was amazed at how elegant the place was and surprised that the staff didn't just throw us out considering how I looked, and probably the other women as well. Kai tended to the wound in my head, and as a bonus removed the stitches from my leg, then I was put into a suite of rooms with Amy, Janice and Cassie the reason being that I would help to keep them calm and also supervise them. Quinn had been in touch with their parents and allowed each girl to talk to them, ensuring their parents that they were now safe and well and on their way home. I hadn't seen Ranger since we'd arrived, him leaving with Hector and Lester, I was going crazy however being stuck in rooms with just these girls. As I watched and listened to them in the bathroom I realized they were just kids really, well young enough to make me feel old. As we'd sat in the lounge area talking and relaxing I was amazed how calm they seemed to be, but then noticed that they always stayed as a group, life could be hard when they got home, they'd maybe have dreams and fears they'd not experienced before so I encouraged them to talk about what they'd been through and how they really felt. It wasn't late when we all decided we needed some sleep, we had two bedrooms so one would be in with me, but as I suspected they all slept together in one room leaving me by myself. I felt lonely as I curled up in the bed; hell I'd been with Ranger since I'd found him and I suddenly felt so alone.

I didn't sleep well, not because of dreams either, I just kept tossing and turning and was glad when the clock on the wall came up to 7, time to get up and start the day. Lester had brought three sets of new clothes and mine had appeared from somewhere so by 7.30 I was showered and dressed knocking on their door, Quinn was flying them up to New York to meet with their parents, so I needed to make sure the girls were ready. We all met in the dining room for breakfast, but I was so lost when Ranger wasn't there. Did that mean now we'd cleared our names he'd go his own way and revert back to how it had been before he'd gone in the wind? I know I played with my food but I tried to make sure no one really noticed how dejected I was feeling. Saying goodbye to the girls though brought a smile to my face and I agreed to catch up with them as soon as I could. Quinn, Kai and Seth were taking them home and left for the airport. I'd miss these new guys, even though I didn't know them well I felt I was getting there. Quinn who was so serious, Seth who had a good sense of humor and Kai who was such a gentle and caring man. When I came out of the front of the hotel with Lester I realized I had so many unanswered questions.

"Where's Scarface?"  
"Hector and Reco are taking him back to Trenton"  
"They're driving?"  
"Yeah, safest way"  
"What are we doing?"  
"We are going to Miami and staying there until we know you're in the clear"

"How long will that take?"  
"A few days"

Tears came to my eyes as I grieved for a relationship that wasn't to be, he'd left me, okay with Lester, but he'd gone without saying a word. I tried to avoid Lester but I think he knew me too well and I was soon being held in his arms trying to keep the tears at bay.

"Hey what's wrong?"  
"He's gone"  
"Who's gone?"  
"He's just left me here with you"  
"Ranger?"

I nodded my head, keeping my head down, trying so hard to stop the empty feeling taking hold.  
"No he's there"

I turned to see Ranger coming out of the hotel, he looked tired and hadn't shaved, I couldn't understand why he looked that way.

"He spent all night guarding your room, wouldn't let anyone else do it till we forced his hand this morning and made him get some sleep"  
"I thought he'd left"  
"No Beautiful he will never leave you"

I turned as Ranger approached and buried my face into his chest, inhaling his smell and savoring the feel of him below my hands.  
"Babe?"  
"I thought, I thought"  
"Hey, I'm here, I'm sorry I couldn't get to be with you last night. Did you sleep okay?"  
I shook my head.

"Dreams?"  
"No, you weren't with me"

"I felt exactly the same"

Wow, I didn't expect him to say that, I mean I was so worried that I'd lost that closeness we'd seemed to have and I was so sure that it was only because we'd been thrown together due to the problems we'd had in common. Did that mean he felt more than he had said or was it just me getting my hopes up, yet again. Ranger turned me back to the car where Lester was lent against the door grinning and as we approached he opened the back door and gave a low bow. Once inside Ranger held me to him, there was no need for words between us and I knew we were okay, I just wasn't sure how long for. I nestled into him as he rested his head against mine and I could swear he was asleep before me.

"Babe"  
"What?"  
"Time to get out, we're here"  
"Where?"  
He laughed as he literally carried me from the car and I felt us going up a few steps before hearing a door open. I was wide-awake as we entered into an entranceway that led into an open plan living area.

"This is a safe house that Rangeman has here in Miami, so don't expect too much of it"

My feet touched the floor as I looked around, it was way better than my apartment, simple but stylish with modern furnishings and the usual entertainment system. The kitchen area was a shiny white with a stove and sink along with a kettle and a toaster.

"It's nice, way better than my apartment"  
"Come on I'll show you the rest"

He led me through to a bedroom that had a large bed against the wall, a closet that was empty and a bathroom with a large shower, toilet and basin.

"Is it just one bedroomed?"  
"Yeah, there's a room in the basement where guards would stay and monitor the place"

"We're not being monitored are we"  
"No, only Santos knows we are here"  
I sat down on the bright red couch and pulled my legs up under me tapping the place next to me so Ranger would sit down.

"Tell me what happened yesterday"

I knew the curiosity was eating away at me and he knew it too, I'm sure I saw his mouth quirk up in a smile before he pulled me to him.  
"Kai came back absolutely panicking because he'd lost you. We scoured the area but couldn't find you and you hadn't pushed the panic button so we had some heated discussions as to where and why you'd gone"  
"You mean Reco thought I'd just walked out on you"  
"He doesn't trust women"  
"I heard"

"So we decided to go through with finding those three women. Quinn and Reco were the ones with an eye on the container; I think at first Reco actually talked him self into thinking you'd betrayed us when he saw you there, until you did your move on the man trying to handcuff you. By the time we got there you were driving the truck through the gate"

"Why do I always end up in the wrong place with a mad man?"  
"Babe you were incredible, you played him and got a confession and then you got yourself and the women out of there"

"I did, didn't I?"

"My Wonder Woman"  
Between each word he kissed me on the lips and when he'd finished his lips stayed on mine, I so wanted this; I didn't care if it was only for the night, if nothing came of it. Maybe in the morning I'd regret being with him, like I did every time we had sex. I pushed him over so that I could straddle his knee as the kiss intensified and I felt his hands move from my hips to under my T-shirt sending pulses skimming across my skin, our tongues were dancing with each others mouths and a need so deep took over me. I found the hem of his T-shirt, stretching my hands to cover as much of his skin that I could, moving them to find and caress his nipples as he found and caressed mine. I felt him stand and walk into the bedroom and kick the door closed behind us and then he was above me on the bed, his mouth moving down to replace his hands as his hands went down to my hips. I felt him ease his way between the waistband of my trousers and underwear pulling them down as his mouth followed the same trail. I know I was moaning softly and writhing below his touch the feelings inciting a fire inside of me. The feel of his finger and tongue on me causing my hips to buck up but that just seemed to encourage him and as I felt the movements inside of me my whole body was tingling ready to burst. A nip was all it took for me to fall over the edge, my muscles pulsing as the orgasm tore through me. As gained control of my self I felt Ranger move back up my body, as his lips touched mine I wrapped my legs around him, tasting my self as his tongue plunged into my mouth at the same time as his erection drove home. He set the pace, slow to start with allowing me to move my arms around him, dragging my mails down the muscles of his back and down, pulling him tighter to me tilting my hips for him to be deeper, touching the tip of my womb. I encouraged him to move faster, our bodies moving as one, losing myself in the feel of him. When he stopped the kissing I know I moaned waiting for the touch of his mouth somewhere else.

"Look at me Babe"

I opened my eyes to see to his looking into mine, deep and black and so full of passion.

"Let me see you come for me Babe"  
I felt his hand rubbing at my folds and as he thrust into me my world shattered into a million pieces as I felt the force of his orgasm engulf me, the sound of my name on his lips and the sound of his from mine.

As I laid in his arms with my head on his shoulder my body felt so content but not so much my heart, hell with what he aroused in me I wasn't sure if I was ever going to be ready to return home, not if I had to go back to my apartment and try to exist as if nothing had happened. I couldn't stop the tear that slid down my cheek and fall on his chest and I prayed that Ranger wouldn't notice, wouldn't see through me and decide he couldn't cope with how I was felling.

"Babe, what's wrong?"  
Shit why did he seem to pick up on every emotion that I felt.

"Nothing"  
"Yes there is"  
"I'm just worried about going home"

"Everything will work out"  
"Yeah"  
"Babe?"  
I felt his fingers under my chin as he raised my face to look up into his but had to close my eyes to try and get rid of the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Babe I don't want us to be apart anymore"  
I didn't answer, I mean I had no idea what he was saying.

"Babe I said I love in my own way and that I don't do relationships"  
"It's okay, I understand"

I tried to move away from him before I really broke down, hell I wasn't sure I could go back to Trenton with him still around, back to being friends with benefits was just about killing me. He pulled me back down and turned me onto my side and there he was with his face in front of mine.

"Babe we're already in a relationship and the way I love you is like nothing I've ever felt before"

I'm sure my face must have shown confusion, I mean I was feeling really confused by what he'd said, what the hell did he mean by that?  
"Babe, I know I've told you a lot of reasons why you being with me couldn't happen but I can't fight it anymore. I need you with me, to go to sleep with you and wake up with you"  
"I don't understand"  
"Babe what I'm saying, well asking, is let me love you how you were meant to be loved"

"You really love me?"  
"With everything I am"  
I didn't know what to say, I mean he'd just said all the words I'd been dreaming about but somehow I felt as if I were in a dream. I'm sure my silence was worrying him but I didn't know what to say, could I tell him I loved him too, should I? As all the emotions rolled through me I couldn't come up with a reason not to. I mean Ranger had always been so straight with me, I trusted him so maybe I would have to trust him with my heart as well, because if this didn't work out I knew I would shatter into a million pieces. The words that I said came out so quietly, as if trying to judge how he would react.

"I love you Ranger, I have for a long time"

I watched as his face broke out into a smile and as he kissed me on the nose and pressed his forehead to mine.

"I love you Babe, very much, and I think I should say that I have felt this way for awhile"

I know my eyes were wide as he said that, hell why had it taken us so long to talk this through.

"Why wait so long?"

"Probably like you, I was afraid of how you would react, I was so worried you'd be with Morelli. I had a lot of time to think about you in that granary cell and swore I'd fight for you and just hope that you'd have me"

"I'll have you, I know we have something special"  
"Babe when we get back to Trenton will you move in with me?"

I hadn't even thought that far ahead and I know I was thinking of all the reasons I'd never moved in with Morelli, but somehow those reasons didn't seem to matter now, but still at the back of my head was the insecurity I had felt when Dickie had had left me high and dry. I'd had no where to live and no money, in fact it had taken selling everything I had to be rid of the debts he'd landed me with and then I'd lost my job and then my car. Could I let myself rely on one person like that again?

"Babe I have no intention of ever leaving you"  
"I know I just have to have some security, everyone always took it from me, I know you won't. So yes I'll move in with you"  
"Babe remember the house we went to after you were shot?"  
"The one by the beach?"  
"Your name's on the title deeds"

"When?"  
"After the incident with Scrogg, it was then that I knew how much you meant to me, but I still felt I was the wrong man for you, too much danger in my past, in my life and you seemed too pure and honest for me to tarnish. If anything happened to me I knew you would be okay financially"  
"I love you Ricardo Carlos Manoso"  
"Te amo querida"

We spent the rest of the day in bed, well except for visits to the bathroom and when Ranger ordered in the most amazing pizza. I felt so happy right here and now and the worries of what was happening in Trenton felt like a million miles away. The following morning I just had to move, yeah my muscles were aching but in a truly amazing way. I went through to the kitchen to make some coffee and then decided to make up a tray of breakfast for us to eat in bed, yeah somehow a box of goodies had arrived at our doorstep sometime during the night. As we sat against the headboard drinking our coffee for some reason I began to feel anxious though I had no idea why, except maybe the whole idea of going back home was beginning to loom.

"How long do you think we'll be here for?"  
"Not long, Santos was speaking with the chief this morning and Tank was meeting with the FBI"

"So we have plenty of time to do whatever we want?"  
"Whatever you want"

I kissed him on the chest and moved my hands down to caress the muscles of his stomach. That was the last we really spoke until the buzz from a phone awakened me.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I waited with baited breath as he answered the phone; dam him he was saying as little as possible after his usual answer of yo. I watched his face for any sign of what was being said but he slammed his blank face down and turned away.

I knew it was bad news from what he said, well what he didn't say, a yes and a no seemed to be the extent of his vocabulary. I got up and slipping on a robe went through to the kitchen to start the coffee again. I poured a cup and stood by the window looking out at the yard but not really seeing anything. How could I continue to live on the run? Then I remembered that I had Ranger by my side, maybe we could go somewhere far away, another country where they spoke English, and start again. What ever happened we'd be okay as long as we were together. I turned as Ranger came into the room and walked up to him, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"It doesn't matter as long as we're together we can live anywhere you want"

He kissed my head and lent back, a twinkle in his eye.

"It's all sorted Babe, we can go home"  
"Go home?"  
"Is that what you want to do?"  
"I suppose it is, I just spent the last five minutes talking myself into running away with you"

I laughed at what I'd just said to him but I felt really nervous about going back, would people be sympathetic toward me or still see me as a murderer, and my parents? My Dad would be great I just knew it but what would my mother say to me. I felt my chin being raised and I looked up at Ranger.

"Babe, I know it's a bit scary but remember there are lots of people there who will support you and if they don't then they're not worthy of you"

"I know but I feel real anxious. When are we going?"  
"A car will be here in 1 hour to take us to the airport"  
"Okay I'll go get dressed and pack"  
I went on automatic after that, showering and washing my hair, I dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with my cat boots as I really didn't have anything else that was clean. I packed any clothes into a bag and then walked through to the lounge to hear Ranger on the phone, again listening but not saying much. As he finished he came over to me and wrapped his arms around me.

"Babe, everything's gonna be fine, I'll be with you every step of the way"  
"Okay, I'm sorry"

"Don't be, what happened was enough to unnerve anyone"  
A black SUV took us to the airport, I didn't know who was driving but as he was wearing a Rangeman uniform I assumed it was someone from the Miami office. I wasn't sure where the airport was but as we pulled into an area it was not what I expected, the car pulled up next to a small private jet. Shit I wasn't so sure of myself now but as I looked at Ranger and remembered how close we had become and everything that I'd done in this last week I felt myself stand tall, I had to beat this, because this was my time, my time to show everyone that I could be strong I could be proud of myself and those I loved, yes I was psyching myself up and by god it was going to work. He smiled as I walked toward him and as he bent his head to kiss my neck I heard him whisper.

"Proud of you Babe"  
The plane was comfortable with leather seats, large enough for both of us to curl up together or should I say for me to curl up on Ranger. I fell asleep before we even left the ground and Ranger had to wake me up after we'd landed, needles to say I enjoyed that flight. Once the plane stopped moving and the door was opened I took a deep breath and with Ranger's hand in mine allowed him to pull me from the seat. He knew I was nervous because of how quiet I was and allowed me to draw strength from his hold on me. I followed him through the door and started down the steps not saying a word but when I looked up and saw all of the people stood on the tarmac waiting for us I burst out crying.

"Babe?"  
"Happy tears"

As I walked down the stairs I wiped my face and then was lost in a sea of arms as people touched me, kissed me and hugged me. I ended up in my Dads embrace and felt so relieved and so loved.

"Pumpkin we're all here for you, you did real good, I'm so proud of you"

I looked around at the men in black who stood on the perimeter and walked round kissing each one on the cheek, Hal, Cal, Miguel, Ram and Bobby, who come on deserved a hug, and finally Tank who had that grin on his face.

"You did good Little Girl"

He lifted me off my feet and kissed my head before putting me back down. I turned to look for Ranger as he turned to look for me, our eyes meeting across the sea of people. Connie pulled me in to hug her followed by Lula, Mooner and there stood Mary Lou.

"Lou?"  
"I knew you were innocent, and everyone here knew it as well. Hell Steph you're a hero, you saved those girls, I knew you would come back home, I love you Steph"  
"I love you too Lou"

I was slowly being guided to a black car and there stood Lester as if waiting for me. The friends who had come to meet me were slowly driving away with promises to speak with me soon.

"Hey Beautiful, you looked a bit shell shocked back there"  
"I was, I just felt, I don't know"  
He had an arm round me as we spoke and I watched as Ranger came across to us.

"You feel on edge as though you're ready to run"  
I looked up at him and saw he was being perfectly serious.

"How do know?"  
"Happens when we've been out on a mission, you need to get used to being back, the people and places, it'll get easier"

"We ready to move Santos?"  
"On it Ranger"

We moved from the area the planes were on and headed back into Trenton, I watched as places I knew passed by thinking it seemed forever since I'd last been here. Once in the Rangeman garage I felt more settled but was surprised when we went through to the conference room behind the main lobby. Ranger didn't seem pleased when Lester told him we had to go there and I had no idea what this could mean. I saw the Chief of Police and Joe Juniak sat there and they stood up and welcomed me home, the other men at the table I had no idea who they were. Joe though was the one who took control of the meeting. Everyone was being so formal and the tone of the meeting seemed so tense, but I knew I had to sit here and look and listen to what was being said.

"The man, John Blakely, has been charged with the murder of Verity, ballistics from his gun confirm it along with the confession. The so called eye witness has disappeared so we've brought everyone here to officially tell you the charges against you, Stephanie and yourself, Ranger, have been dropped and all information collected pertaining to those incidents have been destroyed. Ranger the FBI have asked for a formal feedback from you with regards to the subject of your assignment with them"  
I held onto Ranger's hand as this was said, did that mean he had to leave?

"Stephanie the families whose daughters you rescued have made it their business to personally thank you so have asked for you and the men who were with you to meet with them in New York City, I'm sure they'll let you know when and where. I think that's it, gentlemen anything to add?"  
As he looked at each man they shook their heads so Joe and the Chief stood up and headed for the door followed by the men in suits, as one left the room he turned and looked at me, why did I feel such an instant dislike for him? I sighed; for some reason I found that whole meeting unnerving, as though it was almost contrived. Ranger took my hand and we walked to the lift neither one of us saying a word, I was so thankful he pushed the button for seven and there waiting for us was Ella.

"Oh I am so pleased to see you both home, you look tired and I'm sure you're hungry. Food is in the kitchen, but I'll see you both in the morning"  
She sounded so formal but then she walked up to me and held me in her arms, that said more to me than her words and it was then I acknowledged that the one person missing this afternoon when we landed was my own mother.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I was sat in the dark lent against the couch in the lounge hugging a bottle of water. I hadn't slept well and decided my tossing and turning would disturb Ranger and he needed to sleep. It was only 3.30 in the morning and I knew I should probably try and get some sleep but I felt on edge still with thoughts swirling through my head of the events from the past few days. I mean I could see where Lester was coming from when he'd given me an explanation for why I felt this way but things had happened to me in the past and I'd been able to return to some semblance of normality pretty quickly, so why not now. It wasn't as though there was anything to be worried about, the bad guys had been caught and I was free to get back to my life. Ranger had shown me a new side of him last night, he was attentive and caring as we'd relaxed here on the couch, encouraging me to talk, then simply holding me as we'd watched something on the TV, I couldn't even remember what it was about and had again fallen asleep on Ranger. By 5 I'd quietly showered and was putting coffee into the machine when I felt him behind me, his arms around my waist as he nuzzled my neck with a kiss.

"Why are you up so early Babe?"

"Sorry, I couldn't sleep and didn't want to wake you"

"Are you going back to bed?"  
"Nah, I'm wide awake now"

"I'm heading to the gym, you want to come?"  
I wasn't too sure about that, I mean I knew some stuff to help stretch my muscles that Hector had done with me on that first session with him and maybe if he was there he might show me some more moves.

"Go change and see how it goes"

So dressed in a T-shirt and yoga pants that's what we did. Ranger was on the treadmill while I was practicing some of the stretches Hector had shown me and I must admit it felt good to stretch out my muscles and as there was no one here besides the two of us I felt comfortable with what I was doing. With the floor exercises done I was bringing one foot back onto the floor when I sensed that there was someone behind me, my instinct was fight or flight and with no where to go I steadied my feet grabbed hold of the arms that were starting to reach out to me, side stepped with one foot and used my shoulder and hip to topple them over and onto their back. I watched as Reco landed with an umph and then panicked, shit he would kill me for doing that to him.

"Estefania"  
I felt Hectors hands on my shoulders calming me down and then heard Reco laugh, not a soft laugh, a full belly laugh.

"Shit Princess, I never saw that coming, I was just going to support you while you stretched out your back"

I saw Ranger smiling and felt Hector laughing, but he'd annoyed me by assuming he could just touch me.

"Maybe next time you should talk and ask instead of scaring the shit out of me"

As he got to his feet he looked warily over at Ranger and then looked at me.

"Point taken"

As he then went to a treadmill next to Ranger Hector turned me but kept his hands on my shoulders.

"You did good Estefania, now we practice some other holds"

Two hours later I was hot, sweaty and achy as I thanked Hector and made my way out of the gym, other than some twinges from my muscles I did feel better, I felt calmer and I think I had a smile on my face. As I opened the door Ranger caught up with me and we walked toward the lift, thank heavens because I didn't think I had the energy for the stairs.

"Proud of you Babe, you were doing really well with Hector and you certainly got the better of Reco"  
"How come he's here?"  
"He's asked if he can work here"  
"I thought Quinn was after him to work with them?"  
"He was, but Reco and I go back a lot longer and I think he prefers somewhere with more men to work with and a variety of jobs"  
"I suppose that makes sense"  
By now we were in the lift travelling up to seven and I looked at Ranger conscious that he wanted to say more.

"What else?"  
"He's asked if he can partner with you so he can become familiar with Bounty Hunting and the streets we cover, also you have contacts you can introduce him to, the Bonds Office and Police Station"

Could I work alongside Reco, I mean we hadn't really got off to a good start especially with his attitude toward me. Then again maybe it would give me a chance to get to know him and maybe if he knew me better then we could come to an understanding.

"Okay, but if he says one thing to offend me I'm dumping his ass and coming home"  
"I like the sound of you saying home"

I hit him on the arm, probably hurting myself more than him as we entered the apartment. Mmm, I could smell something wonderful coming from the kitchen and walked in to find Ella serving breakfast at the bar.

"Good you're here, I saw the two of you leaving the gym so thought I'd make sure you had a freshly cooked breakfast. It'll be ready in five"

I looked at Ranger and shrugged my shoulders then ran into the bathroom, silly really because I was looking forward to sharing a shower but no way was that going to happen with Ella in the apartment. I quickly showered and washed my hair then once in the bedroom chose some pretty underwear. I was just pulling my panties up when I noticed Ranger standing in the doorway.

"You know you make getting dressed just as sexy as undressing"  
I laughed as I pulled a cream sweater over my head and shimmied into a pair of black cargos, with my cat boots in my hand I walked past him into the kitchen. My priority was definitely breakfast. As we ate our breakfast, omelet and for me a pile of bacon, I was trying to decide what I would do this morning, in some ways I felt better having someone with me, strange really because I'd never thought that before.

"What are your plans for the day Babe?"

"Bonds Office first and if there's a skip that we can get then we'll go after them, that would give me a chance to see Eddie and Carl"  
"Yeah they wanted to be there yesterday to meet you but they were on duty"  
"Did you organize that?"  
"I asked Tank"

"Thank you, it helped seeing my friends when we landed"

"I knew you still felt anxious and needed the support"  
I stood up and cleaned my plate to go in the dish washer and then turned to look at Ranger.

"I still do and maybe having Reco will help, I have this flight or fight feeling especially if something unexpected happens"  
"I know, it will get better"  
He got up and went into the bedroom coming back with what looked like a gilet holding it for me to put on.

"It's made from Kevlar, but designed for a women. There are going to be some idiots out there who'll still think you killed someone and I don't want you to get hurt"

It felt lightweight to wear and fitted me really well, in fact it didn't even look like a bulletproof vest.

"It's nice and yes I'll wear it"

"I'm working here in the office today so call if you need me"  
He backed me against the wall of the hall and holding my face kissed softly before pushing harder against me, my lips opened and I nibbled on his feeling the soft glide of his tongue as it pushed hard into my mouth, I'm sure I would have collapsed if he hadn't been holding me up and as I turned my head to change the depth of our play, I moaned as I felt his erection pushing against me. He pulled away and rested his forehead on mine, sighing, yeah he actually sighed.

"Babe we need to go or we won't leave this place"  
I knew he was right but that didn't make me feel any better.

"Later"  
"Definitely Babe"

Ranger stood behind me in the lift as I straightened my jacket; obviously he needed to get control of himself before he walked out onto the floor at five. I smiled to myself relishing the way I made him react to me and thinking of ways to maybe spice up our rendezvous of later. I went straight down to the garage and then stood and stared at the parked cars. Dam, I had forgotten I didn't have a car now. I turned as the stairwell door opened and saw Reco come through holding a set of keys in his hand.

"Ranger said we'd need these"  
"Yeah, I forgot I didn't have a car"  
"He also said to give you this"  
I took the gun from his outstretched hand and dropped it into my bag, I had pepper spray and cuffs with me, so what else did a girl need. The watch Hector had given to me was on my wrist and I was sure there would be trackers in my bag, if not in my clothes.

"Do you not wear a holster?"  
"No, Ram was going to sort one out for me"  
Maybe though I should start wearing a utility belt so at least I would have easy access to everything, something to think about. We used a black Cayenne and I made my way to the Tasty Pastry, the girls would expect me to turn up with something to eat.

"I'm stopping at the Tasty Pastry to pick up some doughnuts for the office"

"Is that normal?"  
"Yeah, I hate to say it but my diet isn't what you might call healthy, though it has improved"

"Not my call, you eat what you want. Steph, I'm sorry about this morning"  
"That's okay, I've been feeling edgy since we got back"  
"And I'm real sorry for how I treated you"  
"No problem, you didn't know me well enough"

"You really are just like Santos said"  
"What did he say?"  
"That you're loyal to those you trust and that once you have some ones trust you would do anything for them"

"I suppose he's right"  
"He also said you have a gentle heart and not to be surprised at how you sometimes treat your skips"  
"I don't know about that, I know sometimes people do things and regret it and then can't see a way out"  
I pulled in to park in front of the Tasty Pastry and got down from the car, surprisingly Reco got out as well and followed me in. I was pleased no one else was there and ordered a dozen of various doughnuts, relieved when we were back in the car and headed down Hamilton Avenue. I didn't know what it was about Ranger's cars but to my amazement there was a space to park right in front of the office. I carried the box of doughnuts in and placed them on Connie's desk, following Connie's eyes as she stared behind me. I suppose Reco was a good looking man, the bruises he'd had when I first met him had faded and his nose didn't look as swollen, in some ways he had a look of Ranger about him but that was all as far as I was concerned. There was only one man for me, the one that sent tingles down my neck and set my nerves on fire.

"Ladies"

I shouted getting their attention at last.

"This is Reco, he's new at Rangeman so is learning the ropes and his way around town"  
Reco only acknowledged them with a nod and I could see that his face was unreadable; yeah he'd brought down the barriers against them, maybe because they were women, I didn't know.

"Connie any files for me?"  
"Only one, we've had a dry spell with you being away. The regulars have all turned up for their court dates saying they'll only miss when you're back and some of the new skips have been worried you'd shoot them if you had to go after them"  
I didn't know what to say to that, I mean I know Ranger said to be careful because some people would think I might shoot them but I hadn't really taken what he'd said seriously.

"Okay then, let me have the file and I'll see if we can get him in"  
"So is he your new partner?"  
"No Lula, he's just with me for a short time"  
"So what am I supposed to do?"  
"Lula if there aren't any skips then I suppose we'll just both have to get by, I don't get paid if there aren't any skips and I have bills to pay as well, at least you get a wage for filing"  
"Aint no filing to do"  
"Sorry Lula, give it time for people to forget and I'm sure there'll be plenty to go after, plus we'll have the regulars"

"I sees what you mean, sorry girl, I missed going out with ye"  
I picked up the file and read through the first page then turned and looked at Reco.

"You ready to go?"  
I watched as he nodded his head and as I made for the door shouted back to the girls.

"See you tomorrow"  
"Bye girl"  
As I walked across to the car an arm came out of nowhere and grabbed me by the waist, I knew it wasn't Ranger because he was always careful. As my back slammed against the wall of the alley my attacker was suddenly on his face on the floor with Reco knelt on his back.

"What the fuck Cupcake, got a new guard?"  
"What the hell did you think you were doing?"  
"I wanted to surprise you, welcome you home"  
"Let him up Reco, this is Detective Morelli, Trenton PD"  
I watched as Morelli got up and brushed down his shirt of the muck it had collected and saw him give Reco a look.

I went to leave the alley, walking past Morelli, with Reco very close behind me.

"Cupcake"  
"Will you please stop calling me that"  
"Err, Steph, have you finished thinking, because I thought maybe we could catch a pizza together"  
"Joe, after the messages you left me I don't even want to talk to you"

I was at the car by then so opened it up and climbed in slamming the door shut, I was so mad at him, how dare he even consider that I would want anything to do with him after what he'd said. As soon as Reco was in the car I pulled out quickly into the road, ignoring the sound of horns as some had to slow down to allow me out.

"So who is he?"  
"My ex, an arrogant selfish bastard who seems to think he can lay claim to me"  
"You want him sorted out?"  
I turned to Reco seeing he was very serious with what he'd said.

"No, hopefully he got the message now"

"So where we headed"  
"The Burg, the skip we're after lives there with his mother, take a look at the file"

I watched as he picked up the file and started to read through the information and as he smiled at what the man had done.

"Why are people so stupid?"  
"No idea, but Iain was never known for been sensible"  
"But how did he think he could get away with stealing from peoples homes when he tried to sell the stuff through Facebook?"

"He wouldn't have thought about that"  
I pulled up outside the house where Iain still lived with his mother, if I remembered his mother right she wouldn't be too pleased with the whole mess that Iain had got himself into. With Reco on my heels I walked to the front door and knocked and then politely smiled when Mrs. Oakley answered the door.

"Hi Mrs. Oakley I've come to collect Iain so he can reschedule his court date"  
"Why would he want to do that, he went last week"  
"I'm sorry but he didn't turn up"  
"I swear to god I'll do him damage"  
"Where is he?"  
"Up stairs in his room, I'll let him know you're here"

I turned to Reco as he listened in on the conversation.

"Can you head to the back because I'm sure he'll try to use his window to run"  
He smiled as he set off down the side of the house and a minute later returned with Iain in an arm lock.  
"She's gonna kill me Ma"  
"Good, saves me from doing it"  
"Ma, you gotta save me"  
I turned Iain round and fastened his wrist with the cuffs then guided him to the back of the car, having to listen to his constant shouting.

"Iain, are you gonna behave or do I need to use the shackles?"  
He went deadly quiet and as white as a sheet, I guess he didn't want to be shackled. Once at the station Reco led Iain in and I showed him where to cuff him while we got our receipt, I turned as I heard my name, seeing Eddie stood there, so went up to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"It's so good to see you Steph, you doing okay?"  
"Yeah, thought I'd get back to work"  
"I told Santos those charges were OTT, how the hell anyone thought they would stick is beyond me"  
"Why's that Eddie?"  
"Well the bullet didn't match a gun that you owned and he'd been shot a couple of times and from where they found him it was obvious he'd been moved, and not in your car, your car was clean of blood"

"So who was in charge of the case?"  
"Jones and Morelli, though Morelli was only supposed to be acting as advisor because he knows you"  
"So Jones was the moron then?"  
"No I think Morelli led him on, kept saying if you'd given up your job and married him then it wouldn't have happened"

"Why would he say that?"  
"No idea Steph except he was pissed at everyone after the incident with the bee stings"  
"Hell Eddie I never got a chance to thank you for calling Rangeman"  
"I knew Morelli wasn't going to help, so I did it for you because I knew you weren't doing so well"

"Morelli tried to get to me today, is he still mad at me?"  
"I think so, he blames you for people having a go at him and telling him how selfish he was"

"Oh well, as long as he realizes I'm never talking to him again"  
"No problem with that as far as I can see he deserves it. So who's the new guy?"  
"Sorry. Eddie, Reco. Reco's new at Rangeman so I'm showing him round. Eddie is married to my cousin and obviously he's an officer here"

I watched as they shook hands each keeping an eye on the other and felt quite relieved when they parted on a smile, okay that went well, so now what to do.

"Reco I just need to phone my Dad"  
I left the two men talking and walked to the side of the room hitting the number for my Dad, yeah I was now feeling guilty because I hadn't spoken to my mother, go figure.

"Pumpkin, how's it going?"  
"Good, I'm back at work but thought I'd talk to you about Mum, and whether or not I should visit"  
"Hell Steph, she's been real weird lately, I think she's drinking too much, she's constantly on the phone and to be honest people are starting to resent what she's saying"  
"Do I visit?"  
"Not yet, your Grandmother's gone down to her cousin's for a few weeks, even she was getting fed up. I'd rather be with you when you visit and preferably in a morning"  
"Okay, give me a call when you think it would be good to visit"  
"Will do Pumpkin"  
As the call finished I couldn't help but worry what my Mother was saying to people and why my Dad said he needed to be with me, was she so mad at me, I mean surely she'd heard the news and that I wasn't involved in killing anyone. Maybe I needed to call in at Mary Lou's and see what she had to say. I put a call through to her waiting ages for an answer.

"Steph, can't talk now, I'm on my way to the hospital"  
"Something serious?"  
"Lenny stepped on a skateboard at the house he was working on, hurt his back"  
"I'm sorry Lou, I hope it's not serious"  
"Yeah well so do I, I'll catch you tomorrow"

Now what, I suppose I could go via my old apartment and pick up some things, I had agreed with Ranger that I'd move in with him, so maybe now was the time to do that.

"What we doing for lunch?"

Reco's question had me coming back to the present and I knew we had the rest of the day to fill in so why not lunch somewhere?  
"I don't know, how about Pinos, they have a good menu and I know the men from Rangeman use it"

"Sounds like a plan then"

We actually managed to get seated in the booth at the back and for once I was the one sat with my back to the wall able to see who was already sat at the tables and who came in. People would be watching, I knew that for sure, as I looked around there were no familiar faces, some police officers and nurses from the hospital and a few couples meeting up for lunch. I would be ordering meatball subs, hell I hadn't had them for ages and my stomach growled just with the memory of the delicious taste. As I looked up from the menu I felt a tingle shift from my back up into my neck and turned to see Ranger making his way over towards us. I smiled as he sat down and as our lips touched, to me it was such a simple statement that conveyed so much. His arm came around my shoulder and I then noticed that Santos was bent down talking to Reco. They both moved away and sat at another table. I wasn't sure what had just happened but I had to admit I liked having Ranger to my self.

"I thought you were working in the office all day?"  
"I was, but I wanted to see you and needed to talk with you"  
I know my smile dropped from my face, I mean he only ever said that if he was serious, in fact he usually said it if he was going to leave me. Was he having second thoughts is that why he came to find me before I did anything about my apartment?

"Babe, you've gone white, are you feeling okay?"  
I nodded my head and looked down at my hands resting on my knee. I felt his hand under my chin and was soon looking into his face.

"Don't doubt me Babe, I need you like the air that I breathe, I love you deeply"  
"I'm sorry, it's just when you said we needed to talk, I thought, I remembered when"  
His arms came around me and pulled me to him, his face next to mine.

"I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt you when I said that"  
"No, it's me, I'm sorry"

"Babe, don't be sorry"

"What did you need to tell me?"  
As he rested his forehead against mine I knew it was going to be bad news.

"I have to go to Washington, my bosses want a meeting to debrief them on the work I was doing"  
"When?"  
"I'm on my way to the airport now, they expect me there Babe, much as I don't want to go I have to"  
"Is it just for a meeting?"  
"Yes, I'm not going into the wind, not when I have you, never again"  
Okay, I knew this was going to happen, just not this soon and it wasn't his fault they expected him to drop everything and leave, that's the way they seemed to work.

"I understand, we knew you would have to go, it's just a shock that's its now"

"I'll get back as soon as I can and I'll phone if I can"  
I held his face and kissed him sweetly on his lips.

"Be careful Babe, keep Reco close and ask Tank for help, please"  
I nodded, I wasn't ready to be by myself just yet, I still felt so very anxious.

"Ranger please be careful"  
"Always"  
After one last kiss he stood up and nodded to Lester, I assumed Lester would be taking him to the airport, but would be back soon. Reco came back and sat next to me.

"He'll be fine, back before you know it"  
"I know, so why do I feel like some things going to happen?"

"It's just nerves, you're still coming down from everything that's happened"  
"Maybe. I need to keep busy so I want to go to my old apartment and pick some things up and maybe start to pack"  
"So you're going to move in with him?"  
"Yeah, I am"  
"Good, I'm really pleased for both of you. You know he used to talk about you when we were working, some of the things he'd done to keep you safe, I couldn't understand him and I have to admit that maybe I tried to talk him out of seeing more in you than he already did. I was bitter, still am I suppose, I saw you as someone taking advantage of him"  
I opened my mouth to say something but didn't know what to say, was it because of Reco that he had pushed me away?  
"I may have been a catalyst for how he thought but he really did think that you were too good for him, that he could never love you how you were meant to be loved"

"Why would he think that?"  
"We've had to do some awful things, all in the name of the government and there are times when we feel unworthy. After Katie, I vowed never to love or trust a woman and told myself that men like me were never meant to fall in love"

"Oh Reco, that's not true. You did things that had to be done, so other people would be safe, everyone deserves to love and be loved"  
"I know that now, seeing Ranger with you, you really are a light in our darkness"

I felt a tear flow from my eyes and quickly wiped it away, hell with Ranger leaving and what Reco had said my emotions were in turmoil. I kissed his cheek and looked at him.

"I don't know whether to be mad at you or not, but it doesn't matter now, you're here and I think you'll find that love inside of you that you lost"  
"Princess you're one of a kind and we need to move before the people in here start taking photos with their cameras"  
Shit, he was right, there were far too many people watching us, hell the gossip would be through the roof aimed at me being with two guys at Pinos. Reco threw some money on the table to cover for the food, I asked the waitress to box it to go, as neither of us had had a chance to eat anything, it would heat up in the microwave while I packed my things.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

I drove and parked outside of my apartment, as usual it was at the back of the lot. Reco carried the food as we went up the stairs but like all Rangeman he stopped at the door to my apartment.

'Here you hold these while I check inside"  
I handed him my keys and held the food while he went inside, it wasn't long before he came out.

"All clear Princess"  
I followed him into the hallway and just stood there.

"You okay Princess?"  
"It's just strange being here"  
"Why's that?"

As I looked around there were so many memories that came flooding back, some bad but some good.

"Lots of memories. Hell so much has happened here, some good but some terrifying"

This place had been my refuge even though anyone could break in. It was here that Morelli had knocked on my door after I'd taken him back to jail, where I spent my first night with Ranger but then as I looked down at the carpet in the hall I knew there were memories I'd rather forget. I felt it was the right time to leave, I'd moved on with my life and now felt a certain detachment to the place much preferring Ranger's apartment on seven.

"Should we eat first?"

"Yeah, then you can pack what you need, though I can't believe you don't have more stuff here"

"Yeah well after the first firebomb I couldn't afford much so just got the basics"  
"Is that what you meant when you were talking to that woman at the Bonds Office"  
"I only get paid if I bring in an FTA, and a lot aren't worth much"  
"So why do it?"  
"I suppose in the end I get a kick from it, you know getting the bad guys. I choose my own hours and what I wear"  
"So that's why Ranger helped you out?"  
"Only when I got too close to someone nasty, or an idiot would blow up my car"  
"I heard about the Porsche, I couldn't believe he didn't go nuts at you"

"It was pretty spectacular, but it really wasn't my fault"  
"Yeah he explained that"

I heated up our food and as I ate I went into the bedroom to go through my clothes, though to be honest there wasn't much to take. Most of it was old and damaged and some of it was way out of date. I packed a bag and carried it through to the lounge, the one thing I really wanted was my cookie jar, that held a special place in my heart as it was a present from my Dad when I'd moved in.

"This all there is?"  
"I suppose, I don't own much as you said before"  
"Why not let Ranger buy you things?"

"Because"

"You won't let him will you?"  
"No, I won't be beholden to anyone for anything, everything I do own is mine"  
"Got burnt did you?"  
"You could say that, my ex took everything and left me with his debts and nothing"  
"Let him in Princess, he does it because he loves you"

"I think I'm figuring that out, it's just hard for me to do"

I locked the door behind me letting Reco carry my bag while I held my cookie jar to my stomach. It was really quiet tonight; the sounds from the TVs in the other apartments didn't seem as loud as usual. We went down in the lift this time and walked out of the back door, I was so ready to be back at Rangeman, home, yeah I liked the sound of that as well. As soon as we went through the door my nerves went through the roof and I slowed to a stop.

"Reco, some things wrong"

The sound of cars screeching to a halt in the car park had us both backing up and squatting down, the headlights lighting up the area. More lights came on from spotlights at the corners and I heard someone using a speaker system.

"Police, put your weapons down"

I couldn't work out what the hell was going on, who were the people in the cars and why were they here? Shots rang out echoing around making it difficult to judge who was shooting and where the shots were coming from.

"Princess let's head out of here back up stairs"

As we turned it was then that I noticed two men come through the door behind us, had they come through from the front of the building, were they with the group the police were shooting at? I stayed crouched down and pulled Rico back down, his hand was on his gun but he hadn't taken it out, no doubt not wanting to annoy the police.

"Get up and walk back here"  
The voice had come from behind us and now I saw that the two men had guns. I hit the panic button on my watch hoping if someone came they'd be careful. Reco stood up so I did as well but we didn't move, there were men in front of us and men behind us and no matter which we chose we seemed to be in the middle of a gun fight. It was then that I saw Morelli walking toward us, his gun in his hand, I almost felt relieved thinking he was after the men behind us but then he raised his gun and he was pointing it at Reco.

"You move over there"  
"Joe he's with me"  
By now I was stood next to Reco and he had his hands up in the air showing that he wasn't armed, but then the man behind us fired off a shot, I don't know why or who he was shooting at but I saw Morelli raise his gun and aim it at Reco.

"Joe no, please don't"

I don't know why I did it, maybe I thought I could protect Reco, maybe I thought Morelli wouldn't fire, but he did and all I heard was my cookie jar break into a million pieces. As if in slow motion I watched the broken pieces fall to the ground and then felt an excruciating pain in my stomach and I curled up in a reflex to try to stop the pain. I could hear shots being fired and men shouting, someone talking softly to me, and then the feel of someone's arms holding me. Everything was a blur around me as I felt myself being lifted I curled up tighter trying to work through the pain but then felt a sensation working through me and as the pain seemed to ease so did all feeling as I tumbled down into a peaceful place.

As I became aware of waking from what I presumed was a long sleep I remembered vividly what had happened outside of my apartment building. I could see Morelli's face as he pulled the trigger; I was looking right at him when he fired that shot, and I didn't like the look on his face, even when my cookie jar had exploded in my arms, his face showed no regret or pain at what he'd done. Thoughts of that had me aware of a dull aching pain in my gut and for some reason in my left arm; he had shot me so I must be in a hospital somewhere. I wanted, no needed, Ranger to be with me, he was always there when I gained consciousness from being hurt, but I couldn't sense him near me and then remembered he'd had to go to Washington and that he'd be here as soon he could. As more senses seemed to kick in I couldn't hear the dreaded sound of a monitor only a silence that surrounded me. I was laid on my back and felt comfortable, if a little warm, but could feel the movement of air around me and when I listened very quietly there was the drum of a motor nearby. I needed to open my eyes even though they were trying really hard to deny me to move them. Light seeped in through my eyelids, a mellow light, helping me overcome the fear of them hurting. As I opened my eyes fully I heard another sound close by, someone standing and coming over to me. A face appeared, smiling down at me, an older woman with dark skin and hair that had probably been very dark but was now streaked through with grey. Her eyes were a brown on a face that was covered in wrinkles but I felt it was a friendly face. A straw was pushed into my mouth that I gladly accepted, the cold water soothing my throat and giving my mouth moisture. I opened my mouth to try and talk but she brought her finger to hers, telling me not to speak and then she disappeared from my view and I heard a door open and close softly. I looked around the room I was in, not wanting to move my body and was surprised at the height of the ceilings and the pale cream patterned paper on the walls. The sound I had heard earlier was coming from a fan in the ceiling over the bed. I couldn't work out where the hell I was, a private hospital maybe? I knew Ranger sometimes used those places but even I was surprised that one would be so opulent. I tried to sit up but the pain became too much so lay there with my head on the pillow and slowly brought up my left arm to see why it was hurting, even the effort from that had me hissing as a pain shot through it. I raised my other arm to wipe my hair from my face and was shocked when I saw bandages around it, what the hell had happened for me to hurt my arms this much? I heard the door open and the soft voices of a man and woman, probably the nurse bringing the doctor now that I was awake. As they came closer their voices grew louder and I was surprised when I couldn't understand a word they were saying, maybe they both spoke Spanish and preferred to use that when conversing together. The view of a man's face came up to me, smiling as he sat down on the bed next to me, strange that he was wearing a white shirt and not the usual coat I associated with doctors.

"Miss Plum I need to explain what has happened to you and what you may experience until you fully recover"  
Okay I could go with that, as long as they let me out of here soon, Bobby would look after me. Then it occurred to me there was no Bobby or any other Rangeman in view and for some reason that had me starting to feel anxious. The doctor's face was kind looking and he was probably a little older than me, he had dark skin and pale brown eyes with wavy dark hair.

"You were hit heavily in your stomach by a bullet, luckily the jacket you had on stopped the bullet but not the force of the hit. You are badly bruised but fortunately there was no internal damage. I'll give you some painkillers to help with the pain but you should find it easier to walk and move around in a few days. The bullet went through your lower left arm and for some reason both arms were cut, some worse than others, a cut on your right arm was quite deep with fragments of pottery in it. It's been repaired and stitched and should heal well"  
Okay so now I knew how I was injured, obviously my cookie jar had caused the cuts, but I wanted to know where I was and where my friends were.

"Where am I?"  
"Somewhere safe, Paola will be with you and look after you. I want you to stay in bed for the rest of today and then tomorrow she will help you to move round"

I nodded at that, I was already feeling tired again, I could never work that one out, I mean I'd just been asleep so why did I feel like I needed to sleep more.

"She'll help you to sit up, but the muscles in your stomach are bruised so be careful how you move"

He stood from the bed and again he spoke in a foreign language to the nurse, who I assumed was Paola, and then he disappeared from sight exiting through the door. I saw Paola with several pillows and as she held me to her she brought me forward and tucked the pillows behind my back. Shit even with her doing all of the work it hurt so badly and it was then that I could see that a cast was on my left arm, okay it felt light weight but what the hell had that bullet done? The room I was in was beautiful with tall ceilings and decorated in soft creams with pale coral in the drapes and cushions on a small couch. There were two windows but both had a linen across them blocking out a view and three doors, one I presumed was the door to come in and out another the bathroom with possibly a closet behind the third. As I looked around I felt my eyes getting heavier and allowed myself to relax for sleep to take over.

I didn't know how long I slept for but knew I was desperate for the bathroom so tried hard to move, Paola was instantly next to me and I knew I needed her help.

"I need the bathroom please"  
She looked at me with a puzzled expression on her so I pointed to one of the doors and repeated myself. Obviously hearing me this time she gently held onto my body and lifted me to my feet, the pain was intense but so was the need to empty my bladder. Once stood up I found I could walk with her help, in fact the pain subsided as we walked into the bathroom, Sitting down and getting back up had sweat forming on my forehead and by the time I'd made it back to the bed I was so relieved to be able to relax, who knew you used your stomach muscles so much. She brought me a tray that had a bowl of soup and fresh bread, I knew from Ella this was the go to food when you weren't well. I hadn't tasted anything like it before I could taste cheese and onions and a faint taste of garlic but there were other flavors I couldn't quite recognize. Paola removed the tray once I'd finished.

"That was delicious, what was it?"  
Again I got that quizzical look so repeated my question and pointed at the bowl, she smiled and gave me a name,

"Mote de Queso"

But by now I was getting worried that she was either deaf or didn't understand me.

"No hablo ingles"

I just looked as I tried to understand what her words meant and then it hit me as I remembered Hector saying something similar, shit she could only speak Spanish.

"Español?"

"Si, Español"

Okay this was going to be very difficult if I was going to have any type of discussion with her, and why would anyone put her with me, someone who had no idea how to speak Spanish. For some reason this new piece of information didn't sit right with me and I was back to wanting to know where the hell I was, if Paola couldn't answer me that then I'd have to get the doctor to give me the answer to questions that were forming in my head.

It was the following afternoon when the doctor eventually came into my room, and the fact that it was so late when he came just added to my concerns. He unwrapped the bandage from my right arm that showed lots of little cuts and one large one that had been stitched. Once he'd inspected it he recovered it with a dressing leaving the rest of my arm bare. He then looked at the fingers of my hand peeping out from the cast.

"Much better, the swelling seems to have gone down"  
"Why is my arm in a cast"  
I was concerned there was a fracture to the bone where the bullet went through so the cast needs to stay on for at least three weeks"  
"How long have I actually been here for?"  
"You arrived here two days ago, but we had to sedate you to fully evaluate your injuries, you were very agitated"  
"So why isn't anyone here with me?"  
"I'm sorry I don't understand"  
"Where am I?"

"You are a guest of the Señor"

"But where?"

"Tolú, Northern Colombia"

Colombia, how the hell did I get here and why was I here, oh god would Ranger know where I was?  
"Where is the Senor?"

"He will be here in a few days to talk with you, Señor Moreno gave strict instructions to make sure you were comfortable and be treated as a guest in his home"

As I repeated the name it suddenly came to me why it sounded so familiar, oh shit was he the man that owned the import and export company, was he the man I thought was in charge who had disappeared before I managed to get the girls out? Why did he bring me here, what did he want with me? So many questions crowded into my head but at the forefront was whether I would ever see Ranger again.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

RPOV

Leaving Steph behind in Pinos with Reco had been one of the hardest things I'd done, I know I had left her before but that was before we acknowledged our feelings for each other. Yeah, something I'd been fighting against for years, always giving her reasons not to get too close to me, to take the life I thought she wanted with Morelli. After all he had his own house, a good job and was well respected in the community, he could give her all the things that I didn't think I could, a white picket fence and a life among her friends on the Burg. It was only recently that I started to see that she didn't want that, her constant fights with Morelli showed that she wasn't looking for that kind of life and as each disaster struck I heard what he said to her, how he belittled her and the job she did. Hell anyone going after some of the skips she had would get dirty and messed up, that was the nature of low level skips. The time I spent alone in that farm had me going over and over aspects of my life and each time I came back to her finally admitting to myself just how much she meant to me and that if I had to watch her marry Morelli it might just finish me off. I had built up a wall to protect myself, not wanting to let anyone in, and that worked well along with keeping any women to one night stands. There were too many things about me that I needed to keep inside, to keep control of my emotions was one of those things. I was a man who had no room for a woman, hell so many times I'd been close to death, taking it and nearly giving in to it, I couldn't allow anyone close and the whole incident with Reco was an instance I would never forget. He'd been so engrossed with that bitch he'd lost sight of what she was about to do. Then Stephanie Plum had walked into my life and slowly wove her web around me. The idea of anything happening to her overtook any rational sense and as I got to know her better I realized she would do anything for me as well which confused me at first. How she refused to hunt me when I was FTA, helped solve the mystery within my company but her sheer determination to help save Julie from Scrogg had me analyzing exactly what it was between us but she was back with Morelli, so the status quo returned. So I vowed if I got out of that dammed storage unit then she would know how I felt and if she would have me then I knew ours was a relationship destined to be, my soul mate, my light in a dark world, someone who could calm me and I so desperately wanted her to return my love. Now that we had eventually bared our souls to each other I knew nothing could break us apart. As I sat looking aimlessly out of the window I felt annoyed that this meeting had been called, had they given me more time I might have brought Steph with me for her to enjoy looking around Washington and spent some extra time with her there, as it was there hadn't been enough time for that to happen. I was worried about her, worried at how she would cope, she was still having dreams at night and not sleeping well. Santos had told me she just needed time to settle, that it was similar to when we came back from a mission, but I wasn't too sure about that. Her being anxious wasn't a normal reaction for her, she was resilient and after each disaster she encountered she managed her moods well. Was it all catching up on her? I didn't know, I just didn't know why she was so anxious or what to do to help.

Once I'd disembarked from the plane I was met at the airport by a driver who would take me to the offices that my handler, Colonel Karl Reece would have found. Each time I met with him he would have us meet in a different place arguing that it was safer; to be honest I thought he was neurotic, but I played along with his games. I handed over my phone to the driver, another quirk that Reece insisted on and watched as the scenery passed me by. 40 minutes later we were walking up from an underground garage into an office and then the door to a conference room opened with Reece stood waiting.

"Manoso, glad you could make it"  
"I didn't have much of a choice"  
"Yeah you and me"  
I looked at him as he said that and he was quick to reply.

"FBI set this one up and even I had to shift around my schedule to be here"  
Around the table were three suits, as I called the FBI agents. They all seemed to wear cheap ill-fitting clothes and to be honest stood out a mile for anyone to recognize them as agents. I nodded to one I recognized as being at Rangeman when we'd got back but there were no introductions, which I found strange, it was straight down to business. By the end of the meeting I really didn't know why I was here or what the purpose of the meeting had been. We went through my reports slowly and I found myself repeating what I'd reported, I left out specific names, which the suits weren't happy about, but Reece understood my motives for doing it. In the end the suit that I recognized declared the whole case closed, that Verity, Wallace and Blakeley were the ones to use a drug as a distraction in order to kidnap and demand a ransom from family. Since two were dead and Blakeley was in prison then they didn't see that anything else needed to be done. They shook our hands and walked out of the room leaving me still sat at the table. The whole meeting didn't sit comfortably with me and I felt Reece sit down next to me.

"This whole thing stinks"  
I turned to look at him raising an eyebrow wanting him to continue before I added my thoughts.

"I mean it doesn't feel right, what are your thoughts Manoso?"  
"There are too many loose ends that don't fit into their nice little story"

"What do you mean?"  
"Those men set up a trap for me, so they knew I was hunting them, then there's the other man down on the Keys, we never did find him and Blakeley's locked up tight"  
"You gonna find those lose ends?"  
"Yes"  
"Good, I wouldn't expect anything less of you"  
"Why wasn't Roberts here, he was the one that originally asked for our help?"  
"Apparently he's working another case and couldn't make it, the lead agent Stanning was the one who was leading this meeting"  
"Did he dictate the where and when?"  
"I just got the message of when it had to happen"

"Was he the one who declared the case closed?"  
"Yes that's him"  
"He was at Rangeman when we got back and had to attend this contrived meeting"

"What was the meeting about?"  
"Some sort of closure that vindicated Steph and I of all charges"  
I was starting to feel anxious and I didn't know why, hell I was feeling the same way as Steph did, then it suddenly hit me. She wasn't feeling anxious it was her spidey senses telling her something wasn't right. I remembered one evening when we were staking out a skip that she'd asked for help with and she was being way more fidgety than usual. When I asked her if it was her spidey senses telling her something she'd shut down and refused to answer. As it was catching that skip had gone FUBAR, other members of the gang had turned up and we were being surrounded with little chance of moving before they went for us. A lit molotov cocktail had hit the car on the hood and we'd both exited through the driver's door. Luckily for us the fire and explosion had temporarily distracted the gang members and we'd been ably to disappear finding Hal and Miguel on their way to Steph's car. When we got back to my apartment on seven and I asked her if her spidey senses had warned her she'd burst into tears saying that Morelli had told her and persuaded her that they didn't exist and that she was the one who was the danger. She'd never said those words out loud again.

"I have to get back home quickly"  
"Why, what are you thinking?"  
"I think you need to do a thorough search on that FBI agent Stanning"

"Manoso what do think has happened?"  
"Steph thought something bad was going to happen"  
Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

"She has amazing instincts"  
"This the one omitted from the report?"  
"Yes and I think maybe someone thinks she knows more than she does about this"

"You think Stanning is involved?"  
"I'll let you find that out"  
"I'll arrange a private jet for you to get back to Trenton"  
"Thanks for that"  
"No, I've heard about this woman, I want to meet her"

I didn't have time to question how he knew about her instead stood up and returned quickly to the garage. The driver was waiting but following protocol, he refused to return my phone to me until I was about to board the plane, as I powered it on my heart sank as I heard the alert ring out, the alert that told me my Babe was in trouble. I texted Santos my ETA and which airport to pick me up from and then I had to wait until we had taken off to make use of the SAT phone provided in the cabin.

"Tank here"  
"What happened?"  
"Shit Ranger, I'm not sure, all I know is that Steph is missing, probably hurt and Reco is in a cell at the station"

"Was Reco with her?"  
"Yeah, outside of her apartment but the police won't let me in to see Reco so I don't know what the fuck happened"  
"Her tracker?"  
"That's what alerted us to get over there but a few minutes later it just went dead"

"Any evidence to follow"  
"Not yet, police cleaned up everything in that car park, well everything except what was left of Little Girls cookie jar"  
"How do you know she's hurt"  
"Blood on the cookie jar is hers and there's a lot of it"  
I closed my eyes as I heard what he'd said no way could I lose her now not when we'd both got our shit together and acknowledged how we both felt.

"Ranger we'll find her"  
"I know. Who's lead on this?"  
"Well it was Morelli but he's laid up with a hole in his shoulder, Steph's neighbors described it as a shoot out, but weren't sure who was shooting at who, according to them there were three places where the guns were firing from"  
"Maybe we need to get Quinn back in"  
"Yeah I think that would be a good idea, I'll call him and get him up to speed"  
"Reco?"  
"Lawyer's with him now and Brown's down there waiting"

"Santos has my ETA"

I rested the phone against my head as I replayed what Tank had said, Steph was gone and she'd been hurt, I just knew she was alive somewhere, I'd feel it if god forbid she'd died, wouldn't I? I put in Reece's number and waited for him to answer.

"This better be good Manoso"  
"Someone's taken Steph and she's injured"  
"Shit, you're on the clock, use any resources to get this cluster fuck sorted"  
"Stanning is yours, but be careful"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I pulled every morsel of control I had together, I had to in order to find Steph, so when the plane landed and I walked over to Santos I could lead a team to find her. I could see that Santos was nervous, I always threatened I'd kill someone if anything serious ever happened to her, the thing is I'd said that a few years ago when some of the men were extremely wary of being with her, now they'd do anything for her and I knew that every man would want to help. I knew Reco wouldn't have done anything wrong when he'd been with Steph, things happened around her, unexpectedly, and there would be nothing anyone could have done.

"Ranger?"  
I looked at Santos as he drove, he obviously didn't want to annoy me but I needed an update.

"Reco?"  
"Back at Rangeman, but he's almost comatose, won't talk, just sits there. Bobby's with him"  
"Police?"  
"I spoke with Eddie, he heard Morelli was after a man who'd killed a gun dealer, he'd rushed out of the station when he got a tip as to where he was"  
"Morelli?"  
"Home now, through and through in the shoulder. He's off work until he's seen as fit for duty"  
"Steph's cookie jar?"  
"Shit Ranger, Ram collected the pieces and then after he removed the blood he's been down in the lab gluing it back together ever since"  
I thought about what Santos had said about what Ram was doing, but if I knew Ram then he was hoping it might give us a clue as to what had happened. In the mean time I had to get Reco talking, he was there with Steph; he had to know what went down.

Once we arrived at Rangeman I went straight to five amazed at how many men were here, was anyone doing surveillance or working on the monitors? Tank saw me looking and came to stand next to me.

"Anyone not on shift is here, said they'd be here till we found her"  
"Anything else?"  
"Hector is looking at any private flights out of Mercer and Cal is trawling through cameras to see if he can get a hint of the vehicle or of a direction"

"Hospitals?"  
"Nothing so far"  
"I need to talk to Reco"  
"Good luck with that, he won't talk to any of us. He's on 4 in apartment 6"

I walked down the flight of stairs and straight into the apartment, they were adequate for the men, probably the same size as Stephs, maybe even a bit larger. The lighting was low and I could see Reco sat on the edge of a chair, head in his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees. Brown stood up and nodded to me and went through the door, I knew without asking that Brown would be on guard outside. I pulled up a chair from the table and set it in front of Reco, the back toward him so when I sat straddled on the seat I could move back out of his way if he turned on me.

"Reco, I'm here. You need to tell me what happened"  
I saw him violently shaking his head, shit was it that bad that he needed to shake the image from his head?  
"Reco report"

I used the voice I would use when ordering a soldier under me and breathed out when he straightened up. He didn't look at me but seemed to be staring at something beyond me.

"She got hit"  
"Where was she shot?"  
"Her stomach, god the blood, there was so much blood when I tried to hold her"  
"Reco was she wearing her jacket?"  
Now he did look at me, a look that was saying why the fuck does that matter.

"Reco"  
"Yes she had her dammed jacket on"  
"Then she wasn't shot in the stomach"  
"That's where the bullet hit her"  
"Reco it was Kevlar, yes the bullet would hurt her when it hit, but she wouldn't have bled"  
"No you're wrong, oh god it should have been me, he was aiming at me"  
"Did he move his aim to Steph?"  
"No, there was shot that came from behind us and she shouted at him but then she just moved, I didn't expect her to do that, but that cop he just looked at her and fired the gun"  
"Reco which cop?"  
"Her ex, More something"  
"Morelli?"  
"Yeah him, shit Ranger I was supposed to keep her safe"  
"Reco, that's Steph, that's what she would do"  
"You mean she stepped in front to save me?"  
"Yes, that's her, that's how she is"  
"Jesus no, she should be alive not me"  
"Reco she is alive, but I need you if we are going to find her"

"You think she's alive?"  
"I know it"

"I'm so sorry Ranger, she's so different, I'm so sorry I let her get hurt"

"Tell her that when we find her. I need to know exactly what happened"  
I pressed the record button on my phone so I could go through it later and sat and listened to Reco. Did I blame him, I wanted to, I wanted to blame myself for not being there with her, but that wasn't productive. Reco had no idea what Steph was capable of and that she would have seen what she did as a way to save his life even if it meant getting herself hurt in the process, that was who she was.

"She'd packed some things for moving, she was really happy and we were heading back to the car. I was carrying her bag and she had this big jar. As soon as we got through the back door she stopped and said something was wrong, I couldn't see anything, and I'd been scanning the area. Then cars came into the parking lot, real fast, and stopped. As men got out spotlights suddenly hit and we heard a warning from the police. Shots were fired so I kept her behind me, then suddenly there's two guys behind us telling us to stand up and walk forward, That's when the cop walked over, I put my hands up in the air to show I wasn't armed, I had Steph at my side, hell we were surrounded. He told me to move toward him and raised his gun but Steph tried to tell him I was with her, he knew that, we'd met earlier in the day outside the Bonds Office when I made him leave Steph alone. When he aimed his gun at me she begged him not to shoot, then there was a shot that was fired from behind us, I think it may have hit Morelli but at the same time he fired his gun, only Steph moved across in front of me at the last minute. The jar just seemed to explode and then she collapsed onto the ground hugging her stomach, there was blood everywhere. I was holding her when someone hit me over the head and the next thing I knew I was in a cell"  
"What were they trying to charge you with?"  
"Shooting the cop"  
"Reco Steph would have thought that by standing in front of you he wouldn't shoot"  
"You didn't see his face, he knew she was in his targets when he pulled that trigger"

"You need to sleep?"  
"Hell no, I need to help find her"  
"Okay, meet on five in 15"  
I went to my office on five and freshened up changing into black jeans and a sweater, Tank would see I was back working with Reece and take over managing Rangeman, though he would still want to be involved with the hunt. I'd sent a message out for a meeting so as I waited for the men to appear I went into the conference room and started to write some of the things that had been bothering me onto a board.

How did Verity and Blakeley know I was after them?

Who was the man on the Keys that got away?

The building on the Keys, was that just an abandoned building they used or did they have tie to it?

How did they target the women?

Morelli, why was he at Steph's apartment?

Why did he shoot her?

Who were the men in the cars that arrived first?

Who were the men that came through from the building?

Who had Steph, where and why?

I called the meeting to order and just as I was about to begin Ram walked in carrying Steph's cookie jar on a tray that he placed carefully in the center of the table. Every man in the room just looked at it, they all knew what it meant to Steph, hell she'd even brought it here to Rangeman before now. Now there were hundreds of pieces that had been carefully glued together like some complicated jigsaw, but unlike a jigsaw not all the edges fitted together and there were obviously parts that were missing. I looked at Ram and nodded to him, obviously from the look on his face he had something important to say.

"I collected as much as I could from the scene, the blood on it was Steph's, but I wanted to know the story it could tell us so put it back together, well as best I could. I think Steph was holding it in her arms in front of her, when the gun was fired, I'd say the bullet hit her arm first then the cookie jar before hitting the vest. The shot was close range so was travelling fast, I think Steph will have a through and through in her arm, probably damaging the watch as well. There are a lot of pieces missing over here where I think her other arm was round it. I think maybe some shards of the pot will have impacted into her arm. With a bullet wound and cuts that's why there was so much blood and why Reco thought she'd been hit in the stomach, especially if she pulled her arms into herself to protect where she was hurting"  
"So she's not badly hurt?"  
"I'm sorry Santos, I don't know, the bullet could have hit bone or a major blood vessel. She would have needed treatment to stop the bleeding"  
"Brown"  
"I know Ranger, any evidence of blood trauma being treated"  
"Okay, Tank I want you to work with Reece looking at the FBI on this case but especially Stanning. Santos talk with Quinn and between the two of you get anything on the man that drove that car and disappeared in the Keys. Hector the building on the Keys, who owns it, or last used it. Ram see if you can work out how those women were targeted. I'm going to talk to Eddie and pay Morelli a visit, so that leaves the cars, I know Cal you're trying to backtrack the cars. Hector anything on the flights?"  
"Si, though lots of flights out and not all had names of passengers but one had medical supplies delivered to it, I'm on that"

"Hector when the others arrive here get Kai to follow the plane and Seth to follow the medical equipment"

As I looked round the table I could see the men ready to start working on what I'd asked of them, there were a few who hadn't been given a specific task and I knew they would be disappointed. Thinking through what we'd already covered I had some ideas of what they could do.

"Hal can you and Miguel get into that apartment by the docks and see what might have been left, though I'm sure the police have already been there"

"Reco someone sent an anonymous call to Morelli, how did they know she was there, how did the other group know? Talk to some of Steph's neighbors maybe they saw someone and didn't think it was important"

I was left on my own in the room, I needed to put up all of the information that Steph and I had collected, I always kept a copy of all the work I did, you just never knew when it might be needed and this was a prime example of that. It was too late to be calling on people now so I set about going through evidence and pinning it to the boards, every time I turned around I looked at the dejected image of the cookie jar praying that Steph was safe and that her injuries had been treated properly.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I came awake with a jolt not knowing what had awakened me but immediately recognizing that I was laid out on the couch in my office. However tired I'd been when I finally decided to try and sleep I couldn't bring myself to go up to my apartment, not when Steph wasn't there. Maybe today we'd catch a break but until then I had people to see and I wanted to look Morelli in the face when he told me what he'd done. I used the shower in the office and changed into clean jeans, a white T-shirt and black sweater, Steph loved it when I wore something different to the Rangeman uniform. I walked into the corridor and purposely passed the conference room, and into Tank's office where I found him busy on his computer.

"Are we still picking Steph's skips up?"

"Yeah, why?

"We any skips to bring in Tank?"

"A couple but it's been real quiet for Vinnie, most people are keeping their court date"  
"Why's that?"  
"Word is that a lot folk are doing it because Steph hasn't been around to take them in, they don't want Vinnie to collect the money and then there are those who think she might shoot them. Tends to be the idiots who try and temp fate or those who really are stupid and think they can get away with it"  
"So who do we have?"  
"Would you believe Mooner, he's probably too high to realize"  
"Okay I'll pick him up"  
"You looking for a reason to call at the station?"  
"Yeah, I want to try and catch Eddie"  
"Have you spoken to Mr Plum?"  
"Not yet, that's on the list but I don't want to call the house in case I get her mother, I'll phone his mobile this morning"

"You won't need back up will you?"  
I laughed at his question as I got up, hopefully not.

Twenty minutes later I was knocking on Mooner's door and was pleased when he wasn't as high as a kite, how Steph could cope with constantly picking him up was beyond me, he was harmless enough he just tried selling his weed to the wrong people and in this case it was the daughter of a police officer. He stuck his head out looking up and down the street but I knew there was no one around.

"Where's Steph?"  
"She couldn't make it"  
"Well I'll wait for her"  
"Walter I'm taking you in now"

"No you can't, I planned it so Steph would be here and she'd get her money"

"Why did you do that?"

"Well she needs the money, I always make sure she's the one to take me in"  
"Walter if you were a little more sensible as to who you tried to sell to you wouldn't keep getting caught and you wouldn't lose money"

"But that's why I get caught"  
Now I was getting confused with his logic, maybe he was more stoned than I first thought.

"I always make sure I have enough money to cover the bail and then Steph gets her cut"  
"Let me get this straight, you get caught so Steph can take you in and get her pay?"  
"Right on man, I knew you weren't that stupid"

Hell what would Steph think if she knew he was doing this for her, she'd be devastated?

"Don't you go telling her"  
"No I won't. Look if I promise that Steph gets her money will you let me take you in to the station?"  
"I suppose, you'll have to call Connie though to come and re bond me"  
I shook my head as I watched him lock his door and walk over to my car, he just sat in the front seat waiting for me, I didn't have the heart to cuff him. I called Connie on the way to the station getting a promise from her to be there. Mooner walked himself to the bench and sat down so getting my receipt I looked around at who was about. I spied Eddie coming in from outside and acknowledged him, he nodded back and then came up to me but surprised me when he spoke quietly so only I could hear.

"Meet me in an hour at the diner on Greenwood Avenue opposite the cemetery"  
I was curious why he'd want to meet and then as I turned around noticed we were being watched by who I assumed was a plain clothed detective, not one I'd seen before but as he walked over to me it became obvious I was about to meet him.

"You must be Ranger, I've heard a lot about you"  
"You are?"  
"Sorry, Detective Jones, I usually partner up with Morelli"  
"He not around today then?"  
"No, he got shot last night"  
"Oh, I didn't know, I was out of town yesterday, didn't get in till late"  
"Your guys showed up"  
"If there's trouble we try to give back up to the police, but as no report came through I assume they weren't needed"  
"Over as quick as it started, strange place though for Morelli to think a murderer would hang out at"  
"You get him?"  
"No, but we seemed to catch a meet of some sort"  
"Anyone else hurt?"  
"Not that I know of, lots of shots fired though"  
"So no arrests?"

"Nah, some fella was brought in but then released, I told Morelli it was a bogus tip but he wouldn't have it"  
"Where was it?"  
"Strange you should ask, it was where Morelli's girlfriend lived, maybe she was involved like Morelli said."  
"Stephanie Plum, I thought you were the officer in charge for that murder she was involved with?"  
"In name maybe, Morelli took the lead, said he wanted to be sure everything was in order especially seeing who it was, I mean he wanted to make sure she got the best deal"  
"Was she there last night?"  
"No, the report didn't mention her"

"It was nice talking with you Detective, but I really must go"  
"Same here"

I pondered what he'd said as I made my way back to my car, that Morelli was lead on the Verity case hadn't been public knowledge and I couldn't understand why he'd omitted that she was there last night, after all he arrested Reco. Once in the car I punched in the number for Mr Plum, unsure of what to say or how he would react.

"Frank Plum here"  
"Mr Plum it's Carlos Manoso"  
"Don't know you do I?"  
"Yes, but you probably know me better as Ranger"  
"I know you, you're good friends with Steph"  
"Mr Plum I'm sorry to say this but she's gone missing and may have been injured"  
There was a silence on the other end for so long I checked my phone to see if he had hung up on me.

"You're looking for her aren't you?"  
"Yes, all my men are"  
"I was gonna talk to her this morning"  
"I'm sorry Mr Plum"  
"Not your fault, Steph, well she has a habit of attracting trouble. Dam this will be like the icing on the cake for her mother"  
"I don't understand"  
"She hates the job she does and is forever having a go at her in fact she was adamant that Steph would be in trouble as soon as she got home, she was even phoning Morelli, telling him to go get her and take her home"  
"Mr Plum it was Morelli that hurt her"  
"That don't surprise me, I mean I'm sure he's hurt her before now but I didn't really let her know I was there for her so she never said, but I've had my ear to the ground and lets just say I don't like some of the things I'm hearing"  
"Like what?"  
"Well after you got your daughter back he took her away, if she was in a state before she went she was worse when she got back, refused to come to dinner for weeks but Janie down at the Tasty Pastry reckoned she had a few bruises when she got back. Then about two months ago he was being real arrogant with her, and the spark in her eyes just seemed to go out, she said it was something that she had to stop doing and was finding it hard. Lula let on to her Grandmother that he'd had a go at her, something about using her senses and how they would get someone hurt, I'm not sure what that was about"

"I wasn't aware of how he was treating her"  
"No one was, she kept it all inside, you gotta find her Ranger and bring her home"  
"I will Mr Plum"  
I reflected back to how Steph had explained her going away after the Scrogg incident, she never said Morelli had physically hurt her and I knew she'd stopped referring to her spidey senses, had Morelli used threats against her for her to do that? I didn't have time to give Morelli the time I needed with him so made my way over to the diner to meet with Eddie, it would give me an opportunity to try and work out what Morelli's game was with Steph.

I was waiting with a mug of black coffee, sat at the back of the diner when Eddie came in, he'd changed out of his uniform so I assumed he didn't want anyone to know he was talking to me. The waitress filled my mug and brought one for Eddie then left allowing us some privacy.

"Do you know where Steph is?"  
"No Eddie I don't"  
"Morelli went nuts last night when we eventually got him home. He told us to go get her and bring her to his house. I refused, I knew she'd finished with him for good"  
"Why was he annoyed?"  
"Said it all went wrong, whatever that was and she wasn't going to be moving on with no Spic thug, and he wasn't referring to you. Shirley, my wife, said there were a few photos circulating round the Burg of her in Pinos with a stranger"  
"He's her new partner and he's the one Morelli arrested before he was taken to the hospital"

"Yeah well he tried to say he was the one who shot him. Couldn't have happened, his gun was still holstered with a full magazine, never been fired and no gun shot residue on his hands"

"His name is Reco but he was released last night"  
"Good, but where was Steph then?"  
"She was with Reco"  
"Morelli never mentioned her in his report"  
"She was shot at Eddie, by Morelli"  
"Shit is she all right?"  
"She was hurt but I don't know how badly"  
"So where is she?"  
"Gone Eddie, we can't find her"  
"Why the hell would he shoot her?"  
"No idea but I'm going to find out"

"I'm going with you"  
"Eddie I"

"No, he won't be able to accuse you of anything if I'm there"  
I didn't like the idea but could see where Eddie was coming from the fact that I wanted to do Morelli serious harm could wait, I'd let him know he was in my sights. I left money on the table and went out to my car, I wasn't sure if Eddie had brought his but as he got into my car I assumed not and headed toward the Burg, now that I thought about it I just hoped Mr Plum was the quiet and inactive man he'd led us to believe and hadn't already been to see Morelli. Once parked I let Eddie take the lead, Morelli was more likely to open up the door to him than he was to me. I was right, as the door opened Morelli smiled at Eddie then when he saw me tried to slam the door shut. Eddie caught it and pushed his way in with me following behind.

"What the fuck is he doing here?"

"We want answers from you Joe"  
"Oh yeah"

I let Eddie continue the conversation because I could see Morelli was getting nervous with me just stood there. I lent against the doorway, arms crossed over my chest and I stared him down, as Steph would say I used my blank face that I knew could be intimidating. Morelli sat down on the couch and reached for a bottle of bear from the table, a little early for drinking or was that part of Morelli's problem, was he hitting the alcohol?  
"Why were you at Steph's apartment block last night?"  
"Not that it's any of your business but I was following a lead"  
"A lead on who?"  
"That jerk who murdered that dealer"  
"And you really thought he'd be there?"  
"Yes"  
"So who turned up?"  
"How the hell should I know"  
"So why arrest that man?"  
"He shot me"  
"After you fired your gun"

"No"  
"Where is your gun Joe?"  
He lent forward and pulled his police issue gun from the back of the trousers and slammed it down on the table in front of Eddie, Eddie picked it up and took a good look at it.

"Nice and clean Joe and full of bullets"  
"That's how I look after my weapon"  
"Why did you shoot Steph?"  
That threw him I wasn't sure if he was shocked at Eddie suggesting he'd shot her or the fact that she'd been shot.

"She wasn't shot at"

"So why fire at her"  
"That dam Spic, he was the one I was aiming at"

"But you shot at Steph"

"She moved in front and all I could see was that dam cookie jar"  
"So you shot at the jar?"  
"She keeps her fucking gun in it"  
"So why shoot the jar"  
"Because I've told her to get rid of it and the dam gun"  
"She's a Bounty Hunter Joe, it's part of the job"  
"Not if I can help it"  
"So you want her, no told her, to stop Bounty Hunting?"  
"Yes she eventually does what I tell her"  
The way he said that had my temper brimming and I was in his face so quickly Eddie never saw me moving.

"You threatened to hurt her didn't you?"  
"No"  
"Like you hurt her after I got shot by Scrogg, Like you hurt her to make her doubt her instincts and senses?"  
"She was always blurting out about those spidey senses, she was going to get someone killed"  
I backed away because I was definitely seeing red now and had Eddie not been there I was sure I would have torn him apart limb by limb.

"Where is she Morelli?"  
"I don't know, I assumed she'd go running to you"

"Eddie I think we have enough"

"What do you mean you have enough?"  
I walked out of the door with Eddie behind me listening to Morelli screaming at us, yeah we'd agreed to record the whole conversation, the Chief would be very interested in what Morelli had said.

"I'll go see the Chief with this, you have a copy as well don't you?"  
"Yes, Eddie any problems and let me know"  
"There won't be, you go find Steph"

I returned to my car again unsure of how Eddie would get back to the station when a car pulled up in front of me and next to Eddie, Eddie got in but as the car drove past I saw Detective Jones at the wheel, maybe we had a new ally on the force now.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Emergency meeting Ranger" I felt both panicked and elated at those words as they appeared on my phone. Had they found Steph, was she near, was she safe or had they discovered she was really badly injured or had they come up blank with all of the leads we were following? I sped into the garage not really knowing how I felt but as I ran up the stairs I knew I had to keep my control, I would not break down in front of the men. Once on five I noticed the quiet hum of computers and was pleased to see a full compliment of men working in front of them, Tank, whilst keen to find Steph, would not cope well if he found himself short of staff. Once inside the conference room I nodded to Quinn, Seth and Kai hopefully from that they knew I was grateful for their help but was surprised when Seth seemed to answer for them.

"Not here for you Ranger, we're here for Steph"  
Shit another three men under her spell, I was always amazed at how people endeared themselves to her, if she only knew the power she really possessed. I almost stumbled on my words as I started with my usual opener.

"Tank report"

"Spoke with Reece and we both pulled what we could on Stanning, problem is nothing out the ordinary came up, or with any of the other agents. We need Little Girl on this, she'd find something"

"Santos did you and Quinn find anything about that car?"

"Rental, but the rental agency at the airport gave us a copy of the license that was used. Problem is that it's in a name from someone who died two years ago and the photo has him with long hair, a beard and glasses. Any one could disguise themselves to look like it"

"Where was it rented and returned to"

"Back street agency up in Orlando"

"The building Hector?"  
"The building was bought by a man named Brown as the company name suggests but what ties in with what other people have is that there is a Colombian number that has been out of use for years"  
"No way to trace back the owner?"  
"No, throw away"

"Ram, the women?"

"I went through everything, even social media and then I called them and spoke with them. They didn't know each other before they were kidnapped. They had some friends in common because of college but nothing concrete to follow up on"

I was beginning to feel like we had nothing, and felt my mood fall as any hope of finding Steph was diminishing.

"Bobby?"  
"No one was taken to any hospital or clinic with the injuries Ram described"

"Cal"

"There were a lot of cars turned up at Steph's, some I would say headed back to the station, they were using undercover cars. The other cars, and I think there were only two, that were in the car park moved onto different roads, both of the cars eventually heading north and I lost them. I couldn't identify a vehicle that left from the front, there didn't seem to be any that would reveal if they had Steph inside"

"Hector"

I looked up when he didn't speak which was unusual for him, shit this was when I felt like my world was tumbling down. It was Santos who broke the silence and I have to say it wasn't just me that looked dejected.

"Ranger we have good news and bad news. Kai and I followed the information about a plane that requested medical supplies, we found the plane and we checked with Seth about the equipment. The man who owns the plane was Brown, which is too much of a coincidence to the name of that company that owns the building on the Keys, so we followed it's flight. It did a stop over in Miami, before landing in Rafael Núñez International airport Colombia"

I didn't say anything, I didn't know what to say, that Steph had been taken to Colombia had me speechless and also terrified, I'd been there on a number of occasions and mainly as part of Government contracts to either help the Colombian army get control of the drug cartels or to rid the country of them. My biggest fear of having Steph close to me was becoming a reality, old enemies seeking revenge.

"Ranger maybe that ties in with what I heard"  
I turned to Reco, my mind still racing.

"I spent an interesting afternoon going up and down in the lift with a Mrs. Bestler, hell she's a fruitcake but she certainly has a hell of a memory. She could describe everyone who had been in the building and exactly which floor they got off at. Any way she remembers a real pretty girl getting off on Steph's floor; hadn't seen her before. She was dark skinned with long dark hair, tall and thin, and didn't say a word"

"Santos you've been with me down there, any suggestions?"  
"Shit Ranger we've upset a lot of families down there"

"Any one any contacts still working there?"  
"Wait on Ranger before you jump to the wrong conclusion"  
I looked at Reco wondering what other conclusion to jump to, an enemy I'd hit hard was now going to be the focus of my search and I needed it to happen fast because I couldn't even contemplate what they might do to Steph.

"First off, that's northern Colombia, people like Bassante and Legarda are based further south where their main compounds and growing fields are, well were"

"Who's based in the north, I mean Quinn you were part of the team that took out Valero"

"No one that was a threat, Perez was in the north but we burnt his place down, destroying the fields and he was arrested, the rest of the families were all happy with the outcome, it removed someone who was threatening their livelihood and families and taking away workers under threat"

"You know maybe we already know who it is"  
I looked back at Santos, wondering where the hell he was going with that statement.

"Brown could very well be Moreno"

"You're saying he was behind the kidnapping?"  
"As you say, too many coincidences"

"But he was one of the families that gained from what we did"  
"I heard he retired from the business"  
"When did you hear that Kai?"  
"A few years ago, remember Quinn we were doing a job to ascertain what any of the families were up to"  
"Yeah I remember that, the Colombian Government wanted a resumé of the state of play of export of drugs, his name didn't even come up"

"Okay, Kai pull up a search on him, if one exists. Santos sort us transport into Colombia, use Reece. Reco you put together weapons and equipment we'll need, Bobby and Seth medical supplies. Hector"  
"Si, schematics of property and map of area"

"Let's get there as soon as we can"  
"Ranger what happened with Eddie and Morelli?"  
I passed the recording to Tank with the intention he would listen to it.

"Keep an eye on what happens"


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

True to his word Reece came through with a drop off for us plus the documentation necessary to appease any soldiers or police who might stop us. We were being picked up on the rooftop of Rangeman and had a stop off at the naval station on Boca Chica Key in order for the helicopter to refuel. The helicopter would return there and await our signal for a time and rendezvous for the pick up. I think we were all possibly nervous as to what we might find when we got there, as I expected the search results found nothing on Moreno, his family or his business. In some respects we were going in cold without actually planning out what approach we would take. The only plan we had was surveillance of the properties to see if we could determine where Steph was being held. We had two places to focus on but for some reason I preferred the idea of his main residence. We were all quiet on the flight I think for most of us we were remembering the skirmishes we'd all had down in Columbia and none of them were good. The cartels that managed and fronted the flow of drugs out of Columbia were ruthless and with some of them that's how we'd had to be in order to shut them down. This was a place where we intentionally went in with the sole purpose of doing maximum damage even if it meant some of the cartel's men dying. I suppose it was also a place where innocent people were killed, caught within the compounds or used as shields by the bosses. My thoughts though always returned to Steph, picturing her in my mind, her smile and how her eyes would change color, hell I had to find her and could only pray that she wasn't hurt badly or that she wasn't being hurt now, because that was what was scaring the shit out of me.

As we left the helicopter laden down with weapons and bags I thought about how I might approach Moreno. Santos had laughed at some of the items I'd packed, but when I told him to pack the same that took the smile off his face. Fortunately we knew the area well and there wasn't the same underlying threat of being seen, but we still moved silently through the countryside, avoiding any buildings or areas where people might be. It was nighttime when we reached a small hut close to the residence; Santos and I had used the place when we were last here so knew it was relatively safe in an area no one really went to. It had been three days since Steph had been taken, tomorrow would be the fourth day and right this minute I was hoping we were in the right place. We may have been tired but the adrenaline that came with any mission was pumping through our veins so once our equipment was unpacked we divided into two teams, four men would start surveillance tonight while the other team slept and then we would swap over. I'd elected to go during the day as I felt there would be a better chance of deciding if Steph was there and even where she was being held, though I didn't think I would sleep I knew I had to be at the top of my game for my Babe.

"Ranger you ready?"  
"I'm here Santos, the other team anything to report?"  
"Nah real quiet, not many guards either"  
I hadn't slept as I expected and early in the morning had walked to the residence. It was 30 minutes away from where we were staying and I felt that maybe if I was closer I might sense her, and she might sense that I was close. I wasn't sure if it happened, I had no profound feelings but I did feel calmer once looking out from an outcrop of rock into the compound. That was why Santos had been getting short with me this morning; he'd assumed I wasn't up yet when in fact I was already outside waiting for him. Reco and Bobby were at another vantage point giving each of us a good view of the entrance, gardens and front of the building. In some ways the way Moreno had designed the building was good, built into a rock face meant he only had to defend the front and one side but it gave us the advantage of being able to cover the whole place from two positions. We'd been watching the house for a couple of hours and I was getting anxious that the place seemed incredibly quiet, there were was no evidence of it being heavily guarded.

"Cars arriving"  
I looked to my left and saw the plume of dust as it rose from the passing cars, two cars that were travelling slowly in deference to the state of the road. I watched through binoculars as the cars passed through an open entrance then stopped and as a man came out from the house and opened the back door of the first car, I was almost certain that this would be Moreno. I was surprised when only two men came from the second car, leaving the two drivers to remove the cars and park them. Moreno didn't go into the house, instead he walked onto a terraced area and sat down where tables and chairs were set out, being immediately served with coffee and something to eat. As he started to drink I felt that familiar tingle move through my neck and there coming down the outside stone steps from an entrance upstairs was my Babe.

"You see her?"  
"Yes, she looks pale and has dark shadows under her eyes"  
"Yeah and the woman with her is having to help her down the steps"

Steph was dressed in pale cream sleeveless dress that fell from below her breasts down to below her knees in a sway of material, she was stooped slightly and I could see a bandage around her right arm and possibly a cast on her left. Her movement was slow as the woman supported her around her waist. We watched as Steph was helped to sit in a chair opposite Moreno as he poured a coffee and passed it to her. She was nervous, possibly frightened, with her current injuries she'd be frustrated that she couldn't fight back or escape. Words seemed to be said that had Steph look up surprised, she was frowning so what ever he'd said was not what she expected. Once he had drunk his coffee he stood by Steph and gently helped her to her feet, the woman appeared by her side and soon they were returning up the steps from where they had come from. As Steph reached the top she stopped and turned, leaning against the stone balustrade as though looking onto the garden, then she looked up and directly at where we were hiding, I saw her eyes light up and a faint smile cross her lips, she knew I was here, knew I would rescue her.

"Shit man, how does she do it, she looked right at us?"  
"That's how it's always been between us, we both know when the other is near"  
I sat continuing to watch and made a decision.

"Santos you know the extra clothing I made you bring?"  
"Hell I have to wear it don't I?"  
"Radio the others and have them meet us back at base"  
It was time to get my Babe back and whilst I knew the plan forming in my head was risky I felt it was the right way to go. When we returned everyone was waiting for us knowing we were all going to be moving, going to rescue my Babe. Once I described how she looked I then went through my plan expecting some hesitation because the plan I had was not one that they were expecting.

"You're going to do what?"

"Look you'll all be in a position to give us back up and get us out of there"  
"Maybe, I only saw six men in the place, plus that woman"  
"Ranger are you sure about this?"  
"Yes"  
"Okay, okay we're with you"

"Does everyone know what they're doing?"  
"Yes, wait and watch, at your sign, the words "Fragile as glass" we come in and take down the guards and anyone else who tries to stop us, only use extreme violence if we need to"

That agreed Santos and I changed our clothing and then leaving the hut made our way to the residence, Santos was clearly uncomfortable and not just because of his attire.

"What makes you think this is going to work?"

"There are very few armed guards, the house doesn't have the look of a man afraid of being attacked and the way he treated Steph and was talking to her, it just seemed as though he was actually looking out for her"  
It was warm as we walked and I smiled at the sight we must have made, two men dressed in dark suits and shirts walking along the road. The suits had travelled well; Ella had certainly excelled at finding clothes that wouldn't crease. The gate was actually open allowing us to walk right up to the front door, through a section of the garden. I pulled the chord on the side of the door then stepped back to wait for someone to answer it. To say the man who arrived was surprised was an understatement.

"Gentlemen?"  
"We're here to see Mr Moreno"  
"Is he expecting you?"  
"Possibly not, but it is urgent business"  
He left the door open slightly and disappeared but we could hear him talking in a room next door through an open window.

"There are two gentlemen here to see you Signor"  
"Did they say what they wanted?"  
"No, only that they had urgent business with you"  
"What did they look like?"  
"Respectably dressed in suits"

"Show them into the library, I'll be there in a minute"

The man returned and led us through a hallway and into a room to the right. The hallway was large with several doors leading from it and a central wooden staircase leading to the upstairs rooms. Every thing was made from wood, the floors and light paneling of the walls and there were pictures on the walls that depicted the area and flowers and photos set out on a long cabinet next to the wall. I knew Santos would be taking in all the details of our surroundings just as I was, and as we were left in the room that was the library I used the opportunity to let the team know where we were.

"We're in, room to the right of the main door, three doors and staircase in the main hall"

We didn't have long to wait before the servant returned followed by Mr Moreno. He stopped and looked us over, I'm sure trying to determine if he knew us, he was as I remembered him, an older man who carried himself well, though age was catching him up, with hair that was now white with no signs of the dark color it once was. He had changed into white linen trousers and a white shirt, leather sandals on his feet, not the image that a drug dealer would normally have. I saw recognition come to his eyes and the color drain from his face, I wasn't too sure what his reaction would be, fear or fight, so was prepared for either.

"I recognize you, you were the one here before, you can't be here"

"Mr Moreno"  
"No, I didn't do anything wrong, you can't think that, I'm legitimate now, I stopped shipping, you've got it all wrong"  
He was panicking as he spoke his voice loud enough to raise the concern of two guards who came into the room, guns aimed directly us.

"Mr Moreno"  
"No, you have to go, I won't let you destroy me"  
"Mr Moreno, I'm here on personal business"  
"What, I never threatened you or your men, I mean I was grateful for what you did"  
"Mr Moreno you have something very precious of mine"

I was aware of movement behind me and turned to see Steph carefully walk in through the door using a large wooden cabinet to help her to balance herself. Moreno also saw her and he was suddenly very agitated again.

"Estefania you can't be in here, it's dangerous go back to your room"  
We all watched as she picked up a framed photograph and looked from the photo to Moreno and then I saw her demeanor change, for some reason she was annoyed.

"Jacques you told me you brought me here for protection"  
"I did, someone was after hurting you so I was asked to bring you here"

"By your good for nothing son?"

Each of us was confused by what she had said and I could see Moreno was as puzzled as us, all of us watching as she slowly walked up to him and pushed the photo in front of him.

"He said for me to bring you here, to protect you"  
"Your fucking son is the reason I'm in danger"  
"I don't understand, how could that be?"  
"Maybe because of the line of work he's into"  
"But he's managing business in the States, you've got it all wrong"  
"Yeah right, kidnap and murder are legitimate to you"

I watched as she straightened her back, as her eyes changed color with her anger, at this very moment she looked like an avenging angel, even Moreno recognized that she was being perfectly serious. I didn't dare move toward her even though I was desperate to do just that, the two men were still stood with their guns pointing at Santos and me. She knew my dilemma and with a deep breath slowly turned and walked over toward me, I held my hand out to her, relishing the feel of her touch and then with my arm around her waist, supporting her, I turned us to face Moreno.

"You know him?"  
"Yes, he is my other half, the man who I love"  
"But?"

Moreno was lost for words as he sat down heavily in a chair.

"Mr Moreno I think you need to listen to what we have to say"  
He waved off the gunmen who left the room and pointed toward a small couch opposite him. I carefully helped Steph to sit down; aware of how much she was still struggling with what must have been the blow from Morelli's gun, then keeping my arm firmly around her felt her relax into me.

"Estefania you need to explain to me what the hell is going on"  
Interesting that he was more prepared to hear the story from her rather than me.

"Your son has been using a dangerous drug to cause a distraction while women were kidnapped and held for ransom. The drug killed people and he's been working from places around the country but using your building on the Keys to hold the women"

"But he was supposed to be looking at ways to extend the family business, talking to the pharmaceutical company to extend our supplies, the lawyers and accountants, he told me he was managing all our contracts in the States so I wouldn't have to travel"

I watched Steph's face as he'd said that, she was thinking through what he'd said and then as realization dawned on her she spat out where her thought processes had taken her.

"That's how he targeted the women, daughters of the families you were in business with"

"Oh god what has he done, oh no, he couldn't have"

Moreno suddenly got up from his chair and opening a drawer removed a set of keys, he unlocked a lock set next to a bookcase enabling the set of shelves to swing out and then put in the code to open a very large vault. We watched as he disappeared inside and saw the look on his face when he reappeared.

"He took it"  
"Took what?"  
"There was a box in there that has been there for years, a new drug that we were developing before all the trouble happened. It was something we thought might enable us to stay afloat, as a competitive product against the monopoly Perez was inflicting on us. We never did produce a safe drug, so I stored it safely in the vault"  
"Why didn't you get rid of it?"  
"I don't know, I suppose I wanted to legitimize my business first and if that hadn't worked out then I might have gone back to the research on it"

"Jacques what were you going to do with me?"  
"He messaged me yesterday that he would be here today, said he wanted to take you somewhere on the coast, you know a way to relax"

I felt Steph tense against me and held her tighter, letting her know that there was no way the son would come near her.

"I thought Jairo had changed, he always wanted everything too easily, I made the decision that he would be paid a salary until he'd proved to me he was capable of running the business, then I would finally be able to retire and spend time with my Maria"  
"Mr Mareno"  
"Jacque, call me Jacque"  
"Jacque was it your men who brought Steph here?"

"Yes, but they didn't hurt her"

"Do you know what happened when your men took Steph?"

"I'd asked Yenni, my daughter, to keep an eye open for Estefania so she could let the men know where to be in order to bring her here. Juan and Edwardo went with her, but Juan, well he said there were other men there when they arrived. He panicked when he saw a man shoot Estefania and moved her to his car immediately. No one seemed to notice that she'd been hit except the man with her so Edwardo hit him over the head and he called me immediately to ask what to do. I just assumed that the men there were the ones who wanted to hurt her. I arranged for some medical equipment to be at the plane and then arranged for the plane to meet with Mateo in Miami. He's our doctor and flew up to meet them. Thank god the injury wasn't as severe as Juan thought"

"Jacques did they fire at anyone?"  
"Juan saw a man aiming his gun at Estefania, so yes he fired at him"

So now we knew who had shot Morelli, I wondered if that was why he became so obsessed with Reco, thinking it had been Reco who had fired, but from what Morelli had said I think he would still have taken the shot at Steph's cookie jar. Morelli had definitely lost it. I felt Steph fidgeting beside me and turned to look at her.

"Ranger we need to get out of here"  
Moreno gave her a look not understanding what she was she saying but I could see that she was feeling anxious. Would she ever say that her spidey senses were warning her? Hell I really hoped she would acknowledge them and try to overcome the things that Morelli had said to her.

"What is wrong Estefania, you're safe here, I told you that I would keep you safe"

"I know Jacques, but I just know that something is wrong, please Jacques"

We watched as he looked at her obviously thinking through what he should do and then sprung into action, taking his phone from his pocket to make a call.

"Here now"

Was all that I heard before a man walked into the room and stood waiting for his orders from Moreno.

"Juan take Estefania and these two men to the cabin by the fields, have Edwardo with you and make sure they are safe. Do not let anyone see you and no one must be allowed inside"  
"Jacques I have men with me, they'll keep guard as well"  
"Good, I will let you know when that son of mine arrives"

As I stood I lifted Steph in my arms aware that she winced with the movement but there was no other way of doing this.

"Babe, are you okay with me carrying you?"

Her arms came round my neck as she settled into a better position.

"Yes, we need to go, I'll be fine"

We followed Juan out of the room and through one of the doors leading from the entrance way, coming into a garage that I honestly didn't know about, obviously a well kept secret as even Hector hadn't picked up on it. Juan opened the doors to a long wheel based Landrover allowing Santos and I to get in the back, with me holding Steph firmly to me. Another man, I assumed was Edwardo got into the front passenger seat, with Juan switching on the engine and us moving through an opening door.

"These are the coordinates for where we are going so your men can meet us there"  
I read the coordinates from his phone, my men would hear it through the mic and be able to meet us there. The Landrover was a good choice as we drove over the bumps and holes in the road, I was being so careful to try and minimize the jolts as we travelled ever conscious of how that would impact on Steph as I held her. Hopefully no one would know where we'd gone or be able to follow us.

"Jairo doesn't know of this place, it belongs to the Signor's woman, Maria, it's a guarded secret that only a very few people know about and certainly Jairo doesn't know it exists, though they don't use it very much now"  
I nodded to Juan at his reflection in the rear view mirror, Steph had gone very still in my arms and as I looked down at her face I smiled as I realized she had fallen asleep.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

It took 40 minutes to reach the place, which took us out of the area we were familiar with but was well camouflaged with trees and outcrops of rock, calling it a cabin was an understatement, fair enough it was built from logs and wood but inside was spacious with a large living area and two bedrooms, one of which was en suite. Edwardo insisted he put clean linens on the bed so as he finished I laid Steph down and pulled up a cover over her; the dress she was wearing was loose so I was sure she would be comfortable. I left the door open so that I would hear when she woke and found Quinn outside on the porch with the rest of the men, looking at a map laid out on a table.

"I've put our gear inside and we've divided up keeping watch into three hour slots, that way we'll be more vigilant"  
"Thanks Quinn, you find the place okay?"  
"Eventually, it's well hidden so I can't see anyone finding it unless they know about it"

I watched as Santos came out to join us and noted he'd changed out of his suit and into black cargos and T-shirt. It reminded me I needed to do the same.

"Ranger, I think we should always have two men inside with Beautiful"  
"Agreed, we don't know the two men we have with us"

Reco insisted he wanted to be there when Steph woke up, I was sure he felt guilty for what had happened to her. I changed as well and sat in the lounge area as Juan made us a coffee, appreciating the strong black local brew, then settled back to wait. It was early evening when Steph began to stir, her movements an indication that she was waking up. I closed the door to the bedroom and sat on the bed next to her, I didn't want her to be frightened waking up in another strange place. I watched as she started to move and was sure that I was in her line of vision, smiling when I saw her blue eyes look up at me.

"Hey, how are you feeling?"  
"Better now that you're here"  
"I'll always find you Babe"  
"How did you know where I was?"  
"We found the plane and who it belonged to and where it had flown. I've done some work down here before so knew where to look"

"Thank you"  
"No Babe don't ever thank me for finding you"  
"Who else is here?"  
"The whole team plus Brown, hell we were so worried that you'd been badly injured and he insisted on coming to make sure you were okay"  
"Where are we?"  
"A place Jacques has with Maria, so we should be safe here"  
"What is Jacques going to tell his son when he finds I'm not there?"  
"No idea, let's see how things pan out and then I'm taking you home"

"Is Reco all right, he wasn't injured was he?"  
"He's fine, though he's half feeling guilty and half annoyed at you"  
I watched as her eyes looked beyond me, as though she were figuring something out and then the realization of what she'd been thinking came to her face.

"He shot me, Morelli purposely shot at me, I didn't think even he would do that"  
"He said he was looking at your cookie jar and didn't think through what he was doing"

"He hated that cookie jar and how I kept my gun in it, I started moving my gun to a better hiding place if I didn't have it on me"

"There are other things he tried to get you to do aren't there?"

I saw her look down and away from my face a sure indicator that she was embarrassed; I raised her chin and just looked at her knowing she wouldn't be able to resist telling me.

"He made me stop relying on my spidey sense, saying it would likely get someone killed"  
"I love that you can sense things, that you know when things aren't right or there's danger, it's a part of you and you mustn't let anyone tell you otherwise"  
"You think so?"  
"I know so"

I kissed the top of her nose, I would find out exactly what he'd done to her whether he'd threatened her or verbally abused her and then there would be nowhere in this world Morelli could hide. For now though I had other concerns to deal with and remembered that Brown would want to check her out, and Reco was desperate to talk with her, I was feeling a little anxious because it had been five hours since we'd left the house and there had been no word from Moreno.

"Everything looks to be healing well Bomber, the muscles in your stomach should ease up and the cuts and bullet wound are clean, leave the brace on for now and I'll re x-ray it when we get home. There are some pain killers that won't make you feel drowsy if you are feeling too much pain"  
"Thanks Bobby"

"Hell I was so worried about you but I'm glad I'm here to keep an eye on you"  
"So am I"  
As Brown left Reco stepped in and just stood looking at Steph, she recognized the dilemma on his face and jumped in with a sentence first.

"It wasn't your fault, it was mine, I totally misjudged what he would do, but look on the bright side I had on the bullet proof jacket and you didn't so if he'd have shot you he could have killed you"  
"Princess I want to hug you and shake you at the same time"  
"Neither, my stomach still hurts"  
He laughed as went over to the bed, totally ignoring the fact that I was there, and gently tucked a curl behind her ear. Did that annoy me, hell yeah it did, that was something I would do. I think Steph realized I was feeling a little left out as she raised her hand to me and pulled me down beside her.

"So where are we at?"  
"How do you mean Princess?"  
"Has Jairo been and gone?"  
"Didn't turn up"  
I saw her shaking her head as if she didn't believe us.

"No, he was on his way, maybe someone told him that you arrived Ranger"  
"Maybe, anyway we have our pick up arranged for 0500hrs, but it's taking us to Washington so Reece can meet up with us"  
"Who's Reece"  
"My Government handler"  
I watched as she absorbed that piece of news and just hoped that Reece had organized somewhere suitable for us to meet with him, the rest of the team would be flown back to Trenton then Steph and I would follow them, maybe a night in Washington would be good, though she wasn't in any state for sight seeing. Each man had been in to speak with her and I knew she was tired plus we had an early start in the morning. I'd packed a set of clothes for her to travel back in, being ever the optimist that we would find her, so once she was settled in the bed and fast asleep I took my turn at keeping guard of the building, while Bobby stayed with her. Juan was stood on the porch as I went outside so I took the opportunity to talk to him.

"Any news?"  
"No, Signor called a few minutes ago, no sign of Jairo, he thinks someone warned him that you were there"  
"Any ideas?"  
"Maybe Paola, she was very close to Jairo, she was his nanny but I think he had more affection for her than his father"  
"What happened to his mother?"  
"Walked out leaving both children here with their father, before my time so I don't know the details, Jario hated Maria so Signor kept her away from the main house which is why they used to meet here"  
"Will Mr Moreno be all right?"  
"Si, he has called for additional men to guard the property. Once you have left he will travel and join Maria"

"His daughter?"  
"She will have returned to university in Miami"

I walked away and went to my post allowing Kai to go and get some sleep then spent the next three hours quietly watching the surrounding area, ever vigilant for any intruders, but my mind would wonder and think of Steph, counting down the minutes until I was next to her, holding her in my arms.

Early the next morning we were packed and ready to go, Steph was still sleepy but between us I managed to help her change into clothes that were more appropriate for the journey, something that wouldn't dig into her stomach. The pick up went without a hitch, well except for Steph being reluctant to be lifted into the helicopter while the engines were at full speed, I assured her it was normal and that it would allow the helicopter to lift off as soon as we were on board. Once in the air I think everyone relaxed, some slept but we were all very quiet, I was still trying to put together all those niggling things that had happened over the past couple of weeks.

"What you thinking about?"  
I looked down at Steph as she lent against me.

"What makes you say that?"  
"I can see the lines in your forehead and your mouth is tense"  
"I was thinking about all the little things that don't feel right"

"I know, but one thing at a time, first I have to get through meeting this man Reece"

"He'll love you Babe"

It wasn't long before we had landed in Washington, and we were walking hand in hand toward the car with the driver. The rest of the team were now being flown back to Rangeman in Trenton along with all of our weapons and equipment, I looked over at Steph as she walked, her stomach was much better and the pain killers Brown had given her were helping, she looked confident in her combat trousers low on her hips and the black sweater. She'd braided her hair, which wasn't something she normally did. Neither of us had a phone much to the drivers surprise but he simply put the car in gear and started to drive us to our destination.

"Where are we going?"  
"I don't know, Reece always uses a different place that only he and his driver know"  
"Wow, he's a real control freak isn't he"  
"No but he is paranoid over security"

"A diner?"

Even I was surprised when we stopped in front of a diner slightly out of the city, but not surprised to find that we were the only people there.

"Manoso, so this is the famous Stephanie Plum, a pleasure to meet you"

True to her upbringing and manners Steph held out her hand to Reece and I could have sworn he held onto it a little too long. I could tell that she was nervous, as she never said a word; normally she would have reacted to the words he'd used to describe her. We sat in a booth at the back of the room and I was surprised when a waiter started to bring out plates of food.

"I understand you enjoy your food Miss Plum, so tuck in"  
"Steph or Stephanie please"  
We both watched as Steph began to devour the food in front of her, bacon and omelet, hash browns and sausages, there was no way she would be ready for any conversation until she was finished. I ate the omelet provided, as did Reece.

"Hell I was ready for that, I feel like I haven't eaten in days"

"It's good to see a woman who enjoys her food"  
"So Reece why this meeting?"  
I wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

"I've been talking with Tank and he's provided me with all the information you'd collected, we both agree that there is a problem that is yet to be resolved. Jairo Moreno seems to have vanished, he did fly in to Colombia but we think he used another route to get back into the States. I've confirmed with all parties that his father is totally innocent of any events, except of course for kidnapping you Stephanie"  
"He did what he did in good faith"  
"I agree Ranger, so as far as we are concerned he is no longer part of the equation. Morelli, now there's an interesting twist"  
"Why?"  
I watched as Steph frowned at Reece's comment of Morelli, something was worrying her.

"Babe what is it?"  
"I don't know if he is part of this or incidental to all of the events"  
"I agree Stephanie. The Chief pulled him in him of course up in Trenton and once his penchant for alcohol was discovered I insisted he underwent a psychiatric evaluation. The Chief was more than happy to do that, after all Morelli is seen as one of his best detectives. Having read the first report he is one of the most arrogant men I have come across, he has a very dominating character that manifests itself with anger and violence when he doesn't get his own way. I'm surprised you survived for as long as you did Stephanie because he has a complete fixation on controlling you"  
I saw Steph raise her eyebrows at that and I suppose had Steph not had the strength of character that she had then she would have allowed Morelli to mold her into something that she wasn't, broken her down until she complied.

"His father was an alcoholic and was very abusive to his wife, then he started on the boys when they went against him to protect her. I suppose I missed all the little signs of him turning into his father"  
"Indeed Stephanie, we feel he felt he could manipulate situations to his own advantage, seeing you that night with another man by your side and for some reason you holding a cookie jar pushed him over the edge"  
"What will happen to him, I mean he seemed to be a good cop"  
"He was, did his job well, at the moment he is suspended from his job until a full investigation has been carried out. I've pushed that he looses his badge and is charged for shooting at you but currently his lawyer is insisting that because someone shot him his response was quite normal given the circumstances and seeing as there is no evidence and you weren't around he's saying that he was under duress when you spoke with him Ranger"

"So he's still in Trenton?"  
"Yes, I'm afraid so, though there is a restraining order against him to keep well away from you Stephanie"  
"How do feel about that Babe?"  
"Still a bit nervous if we go back to Trenton"

"I'll make sure his every move is tracked Babe"

"Good. Now we need to decide how to proceed, of course it's very unusual to have a civilian involved but I can see you have extra ordinary ways of solving problems"  
"You mean I attract the bad men to me"  
"They're only drawn to you because they can see that you will outwit them, one way or another"  
"Why has this attracted your attention Reece?"  
"I don't like the idea that we have someone who is betraying us"  
"Like the FBI"

"Why do you say that Stephanie?"  
"They're always there in the background, so sue me I don't like some of them"

"There's more to it I'm afraid. There were small pieces of information contained in your report Manoso which when I put together caused me concern. Reco reported some arms deal over in Syria which we managed to stop, but could never find where they came from, but we did discover that they were decommissioned weapons from the middle east. The arms discovered at that farm used to set you up were from the same consignment"

"I didn't know that, I never saw any details of the so called evidence that was found"  
"No, I didn't think so, and that evidence has now gone missing"

"Do you think Jairo is involved in that?"

"The box that Verity and Blakeley were moving, could that have had guns in it?"

"Possibly Babe"  
We both watched her as she went quiet, obviously thinking things through and then surprised us with her memory of what she'd heard and how it might tie in.

"When I was first at that farm I overheard Verity and Blakely talking, something about collecting the merchandise to finish the deal before they had to meet up with someone"

"Couldn't that have been the women they'd kidnapped?"  
"No I don't think so because when he and Blakeley were arguing down on the Keys he said he had to finish the negotiations on them and then get back to his original business deal"

"So I presume we're working on the assumption that Jairo's other business deal was the guns?"

"That's for you to find out. I think you have what you need from me to know what your assignment is"  
"If I said that I was finished with this?"  
"You're already too deeply involved, but be assured once this is over your file will be stamped as retired"

"I'll hold you to that Reece"  
"So, where do you need taking to, the airport?"  
"No I've booked a room for tonight, there are things I need in place before we head back to Trenton"

"Stephanie it was an absolute pleasure to meet you"  
"And you"

I guided Steph from the diner and as expected our car was there waiting, once in I gave him the address of where we needed to be. Steph was quiet and after a few minutes she lifted her hands to her head and teased out her hair from the braid. Once finished her hair was falling in soft curls around her shoulders that only attracted my hand to gently tease at some of the curls.

"Why've you let your down Babe?"  
"I was thinking about Morelli and how he always insisted I tied my hair in a braid"  
"Why would he do that?"  
"He said he didn't like it, that it looked messy and that it annoyed him"

"I love your hair, it's part of who you are"  
"I keep thinking of all the little things he'd try to get me to change"  
"Like what?"  
"My job of course and he didn't like me having anything to do with you or Rangeman"  
"He probably felt threatened"

"Sometimes he'd go through my bag and try to get rid of any trackers"  
"I thought that was you being independent"

"No, I liked the idea that someone could find me if I was in trouble"

"Do you think it was him who removed the tracker from your car?"  
"Maybe, it was as if you turning up when my car set on fire took away his right to shout at me"

"What else did he do?"  
"He tried to get me to change how I dressed, so I told him that wasn't going to happen, even when he started to buy some outfits, I refused to wear them"

"Is that why you won't let me buy you anything?"  
"Maybe, it's one more thing that chips away at my independence"

"I would never intentionally do that Babe, I hope you know that"

"I know, but sometimes it's hard to accept things"

"I hope you would tell me if you ever felt I was trying to change you"

"You don't, you suggest things, which is different because it still gives me a choice"  
She smiled as she thought about that which made me wonder what it was that had amused her.

"I was just thinking of all the times you suggested I practice with my gun or do some self defense and look what happened, I chose to do it anyway"  
As I saw that we were approaching the hotel I kissed her on the head and removed my arm from her shoulder.

"We're here"


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

I'd booked a suite at a small boutique hotel north of the city for a number of reasons. I felt Steph would feel more comfortable in a smaller place with fewer people around and it had an excellent restaurant next door to it. It also allowed me to keep a better eye on our surroundings because I was still feeling very protective of her at the moment. There was a small woman's clothing shop close by so if she wanted to she could pick out any items she felt she would need. As we walked in through the door I was pleased with my choice, it was quiet and whilst not modern it had an eclectic feel to it. It had been an old detached house that had been converted by the current owners and had a reputation as being a family business that catered for clients who valued their privacy.

"Wow, this place is so, different"  
I watched as Steph looked around, it was a small reception area that had a glass conservatory at the back where a breakfast was served and then a patio set out for guests who preferred to be outside. With an old fashioned key in my hand we made our way up the carpeted stairs and then turned right to the door at the end. Once through I wasn't disappointed, there was a lounge area with couches and an entertainment unit with a desk by a huge bay window that overlooked a flowered area below. The bedroom boasted a four poster bed with linens draped down, an en suite bathroom and closet space. As I put the bag I had on the low table at the foot of the bed Steph followed me through, her simple action of kissing my cheek as she wrapped her arms around my waist brought mine automatically around her.

"You need a hug?"  
"Mmm. Definitely"

"How are you feeling?"  
"Not too bad, the muscles in my stomach feel much better"

"Good, Bobby will want to check out your arm properly tomorrow"

"Do people know that I went missing?"  
"Some, I spoke with your father and Eddie"  
"Does Dad know I'm okay?"  
"Yes, Tank caught up with him this morning"

"I really need to get cleaned up"  
"There's a shop down the road if you need anything"  
"I don't have any money on me"

"Babe this job will pay out a lot, so how about I lend you the money and then when we get paid you can pay me back"

"I could work with that"

I smiled as she said that because I knew she wasn't quite ready to let go yet, to allow me to buy her things, but we'd get there.

"Why don't we go now and then when you're clean you have something you can change into"

"You gonna come with me?"  
"Of course, I need you to model what ever you end up buying"  
She laughed as she stepped away and headed for the door. The place we needed to be wasn't far away, close enough for us to walk to though I was conscious that Steph wasn't recovered from her injuries. It actually felt nice; yeah I was using a crass word, as we strolled down the sidewalk. The sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze catching at the leaves in the trees that lined our route. The shop was bigger than I expected and as I looked at the expression on Steph's face possibly not what she was used to.

"Hell Ranger, I'd be lucky if I could afford a pair of panties from here"

I guided her into the shop with my hand on her back; she would get more than a pair of panties if I had my way.

"They're giving us strange looks"  
"Ignore them Babe, I'll deal with them, you go find what you need"

I suppose the clothes we were wearing weren't giving the right impression, Steph in cargo pants and cat boots and me dressed similarly but lets face it money speaks the loudest in a place like this and at the sight of my platinum card the assistants were all too keen to help Steph out. I sat in one of the chairs and watched as Steph took some items into the changing area and then stood up and went to a rack that held some dresses, pulling two out and handing them to the assistant.

"Ask her to try these on for me first"

Minutes later I was staring at the sight in front of me, Steph was wearing one of the dresses and she looked stunning. The dress was a deep blue that seemed to shimmer when she moved, it had one strap over her shoulder and seemed to curve around her body to her waist and then hugged her hips before the material swirled out ending mid thigh. She turned and then walked up to me, causing me to stand in front of her.

"Babe you look beautiful"  
"I feel like Julia Roberts in that film"  
I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Pretty woman, you haven't watched it have you?"  
I shook my head, realizing that she would probably expect me to watch with her.

"Okay, it is beautiful but I'd never wear it"  
"You will when I take you dancing"

"Nice try"

She turned and returned to the changing area and the assistant came out with the dress ready to hang it back on the rail.

"Box that up and someone will collect it"  
I handed her my card because Steph was bound to check the bill when we left. It was awhile later when she came out dressed back in the clothes she'd come in wearing though I was pleased that the assistant had taken some clothes and was now folding them ready to put into a bag. I gave her my card again and as I expected Steph picked up the receipt. Once outside we fell into an easy walk side by side.

"You get everything you needed?"  
"Yeah, but geez, the cost of things in there"

"We'll get well paid Babe"  
"So where are Ram and Miguel staying?"  
I looked back at her, I'm sure with a surprised look on my face, when the hell had she spotted them?

"Do I need to have them retrained in carrying out surveillance?"  
"Don't you dare, I spotted Miguel in a car out back through a small window in the changing room, it was reflective glass to let in some light but so no one could see in. He probably didn't know. Hell I nearly freaked out when I saw it until the assistant explained how it worked"  
"And Ram?"

"There's a black Porsche Cayenne up ahead of us, so sue me, I tend to associate those cars with Rangemen"  
"I'm sorry I didn't warn you but I never go anywhere without backup and having you here with me tends to distract me"  
"It's okay, I feel better knowing they're here"  
I stopped her and holding her by her shoulders looked into her eyes, the blue of eyes was looking at me intently and for the first time since I had found her the old spark was there, yeah she was okay with the men being here and she wasn't annoyed with me, in fact I'd say she was teasing me.

"You thought I'd be mad at you didn't you?"  
"Maybe"  
"Well I'm not, I'm glad you'll be distracted with me"

She turned and linked her arm through mine and we slowly walked back to the hotel and up to our room.

Once back to the room Steph disappeared to the bathroom so I checked in with Ram for him to report to me.

"Report"

"No one suspicious around"  
"Steph made you when we were out"  
"She can't have, I made sure to stay well out of her sight"  
"She saw you behind the shop"  
There was a silence on the other end of the phone making me wonder if Ram was trying to work how she'd seen him or if he was waiting for a reprimand from me.

"Ram just be sure you're more aware of someone behind windows"

I finished the call and then put one through to Tank.

"Ranger, you in Washington?"  
"Yes, ETA 1300hrs"

"I'll have a car waiting for you at the airport"  
"Morelli?"  
"Quinn's on him"  
"I thought they would have headed home"  
"Not till Little Girl is back"

"Let them know we may have more business to deal with"  
"That from Reece?"  
"Yes, but it probably involves Moreno"  
"The son?"  
"Yes, so Morelli?"  
"Spends most of his time at home unless he's visiting some shrink"

"Okay set a meeting up for when we get back"  
That done I looked at my watch and realized Steph was still in the bathroom and as I walked across to the door I couldn't hear the shower going, for some reason I was beginning to worry especially as she was still struggling with some of her injuries, I'd made sure there was something to cover the cast so it wouldn't get wet.

"Babe?"  
When I got no response I turned the handle, pleased she'd left the door unlocked, and walked in calling out her name so as not to scare her.

"Babe?"

I saw her sat on the floor against the tub, her knees pulled up with her head resting on them and a white hotel robe pulled around her, shit was she hurting more than she'd said.

"Babe, are you okay?"

A stupid question because obviously she wasn't and as I sat down beside her head came up showing she'd been crying.

"I'm a mess"  
"How's that?"  
"I can't even wash properly and I look a mess"  
"Babe you look beautiful to me"

"Don't patronize me. I mean look at me"  
I watched as she slipped the robe from her shoulders and lifted the hem of the T-shirt she was wearing. Her stomach was a mass of purple and yellow bruising and then as she lifted her arms the full extent of the damage caused by her cookie jar came into view.

"I wanted to look pretty for you"

I bent down and gently placed kisses on her stomach and then did the same for each cut I found on her arms, as my head came up I then noticed black silky lingerie lying in the corner on the floor. That she was even considering what that suggested humbled me but there was no way she was ready for that, no way I would do anything that might cause her pain. I held her head in my hands looking into her eyes.

"Babe the only reason I wouldn't want to make love to you is that I would never want you to be in pain. We have all the time in the world and when you're fully recovered then we'll rock the earth"  
"Are you sure?"  
"Of course I am"  
As I watched her thinking my answer through a thought passed through my mind.

"Did Morelli make you have sex after you'd injured yourself?"  
Her head slowly nodded telling me the answer, that bastard had expected her to look perfect and serve his needs. I pushed the anger back down inside of me; it was unproductive and might scare her.

"He was an absolute bastard to do that to you, I would never expect that from you until you were ready"  
He'd really screwed with her confidence with his bullying tactics and I would need to slowly rebuild it, somehow I also knew one way or another Morelli would pay for what he'd done though I knew Steph would be upset if he disappeared never to be seen again.

"Stay there a minute"

I went out into the bedroom and brought the chair from the desk back, placing it in front of the sink then carefully brought her to her feet gently sitting her down on the chair.

"Can you lean back for me?"  
As she shook her head I knew the muscles in her stomach were still too tender to take her weight so repositioned the chair and took her weight for her to lean back with her head over the sink. I washed and conditioned her hair with the products provided by the hotel and then with a towel around her head helped her to stand.

"Thank you"

"De nada, just talk to me when you feel like that, okay?"  
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize just how much Morelli was slowly eating away at me"  
"Babe I'm so sorry"  
"What, why?"  
"I thought he was a good guy who would care for you, I would never have pushed you toward him"  
"No, it's not your fault, I should have seen what he was doing, but I suppose over time the little things built up"

"Come on, how about we order in some food from the restaurant down the street"  
"They do take out?"  
"No but Ram can pick something up for us, unless you want to go out?"

"No, I'd rather stay in"

So that's what we did and as the night wore on her mood improved, she wasn't as melancholy as she had been, the fact that she found that film she'd been referring to on cable I'm sure helped and okay I could see how she might have felt like that when in the shop. I was just hoping her sleep wouldn't be disturbed with dreams.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

SPOV

As we were sat on the plane back to Trenton I thought about the mini break down I'd had last night. It wasn't until Reece had told us something of the report on Morelli that I had begun to recount events that had happened in our relationship. I knew he wanted me to change but I honestly thought it was his way of trying to get me to say yes to marry him. Okay he didn't like my job but I'd always thought it was because he got upset when I was hurt, but maybe that was another sign that I misread, maybe he wanted me chained to a home playing housewife. We hardly ever went out together and certainly not on what you would call a date and if we did he was very insistent on how I was dressed and how I behaved, though the only times that came to my mind were events that involved his family so I assumed it was him trying to present me in a better light so they would accept me. It was now that the small things came to my head, getting angry if I mentioned about my spidey sense, insisting how I should wear my hair when he was around. If I was late to his house or missed a phone call he never wanted an explanation instead he'd call me selfish for not being where I was supposed to be. Last night I hadn't realized how deep his conditioning of me had gone because he never asked me if I was hurt or tried to console me instead he would insist I still wore a sexy outfit so that he could have sex. Often when that happened I would be in pain and never achieved an orgasm, he didn't seem to notice as long as he got himself the satisfaction he needed. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't say he forced me and there were times when he was an excellent lover but so far I had managed to avoid positions I wasn't comfortable with by distracting him. Shit when I looked at it like this, in the cold light of day, he really was trying to change me into someone he wanted me to be. No wonder he felt so annoyed when I was stood with my cookie jar next to Reco, but that meant he didn't love me at all just the idea of owning me. So why me? Shit I sounded like my mother, and then it came to me. He'd abused me as a child, touching me when I didn't know what he was doing and he'd accosted me in the Tasty Pastry when I was sixteen, the first man I'd had sex with so had lost my virginity on the floor behind the counter, again I'd been naïve as to what was happening. So maybe from those incidents he'd decided he could dominate me and like his father before him he was spiraling his behavior into an abusive and controlling behavior. My next concern was why my mother thought it was acceptable, Dad had never treated her like that, but had she tried to dominate my Dad in a similar way.

"Babe"  
I heard the interruption to my thoughts and looked up to Ranger.

"Sorry, I was miles away"  
"We're landing in ten minutes"

I hadn't realized that the time had passed so quickly, Ranger must wonder what the hell was wrong with me because normally I'd either be asleep or chatting away.

"I was thinking about last night and how I was behaving"  
"What did you come up with?"  
"That he was slowly trying to control aspects of my life, it's weird though because after the incident with the bees I'd started to work out that I didn't want to be around him anymore"  
"Babe your nature is to be strong and independent, he could never have fully controlled you, eventually you would have rebelled against him"  
"Yeah I suppose, but hell I can understand how a woman can become so trapped and not be able to get out"

"You realized what other things he was doing?"  
"Yeah. I think the one thing he could never break me from was my friendship with you and I'm sure that really pissed him off"  
"You think seeing Reco with you that night set him off?"  
"Yes, that and my cookie jar, between them they represented everything he hated and he lashed out in anger"  
"Babe shooting you was more than lashing out at you, he should be charged with attempted murder"

"I know, but if I never have to see him again then I'll be content that I got away from him"  
"You know I'll insist on someone being with you"  
"No one will want to do that"  
"Don't be so sure, apparently Tank's already got so many volunteers he doesn't know who to choose. He wants you to make that final decision"

"Well I'm supposed to work 20 hours at Rangeman so that doesn't leave much time for bounty hunting"

As I felt the plane suddenly drop I grabbed hold of Ranger's hand, yeah travelling in these fancy jets was way better than the commercial flights but they still had to get up in the air and drop from the sky. Maybe I did like the helicopter better after all.

There was no crowd of people waiting this time as I walked down the stairs but I was okay with that, I still felt anxious to be coming home but seeing Lester grinning at me soon brought a smile to my face. Ram and Miguel had returned with us but had stayed at the back of the plane and as I started toward Lester I spied another car being driven by Hal to where they were headed.

"Beautiful you've more color in your face, you feeling better?"  
"Yeah I am Lester, thanks for picking us up"

"No problem, so you what did you think of Reece?"  
"I liked him, he seems in control and knows what he wants"  
"Yeah he's a good man to work under once you get used to his paranoia over security and details"  
"We ready to go Santos?"

I let Ranger help me into the back and fasten my seat belt and watched as he rode up front with Lester. I was watching again the passing streets and buildings that were familiar and felt that déjà vu feeling. As we dropped down into the underground garage I instantly felt a relief flood through me, I was so glad to be back here. Lester opened my door as I undid my seat belt and he gently lifted me down to the floor but by then Ranger was next to me and led me to the lift.

"We're going to have a meeting in the conference room, do you want to be there?"  
I nodded, I knew he was concerned for how I was feeling but I had to get my head back in the game and contribute to finding Moreno and stop what ever it was he was up to. I actually felt sorry for his father, okay he'd once been the boss of a drug cartel but he'd managed to turn round his life and provide a secure future for his children. As I entered the conference room I couldn't help but smile as my eyes passed over each face at the table. I was sat to Ranger's left as silence fell on the room. I'd noticed the research on the boards that had been done to find me so on the spur of the moment, shocking Ranger I stood up.  
"I want to thank each and every one of you for helping to get me back home, I know how hard you all worked and I love you all for that"  
I sat down quickly as everyone just stood up and from one solitary clap came the echo of more from around the room. I know I was blushing and felt Ranger's hand tightly holding onto mine. To my relief at last they all sat down and Ranger started the meeting.

"We've been asked to delve further into the men we've been looking at with the thrust of our investigation on the weapons that turned up at the farm I was being held at. Verity is dead, but Blakeley is in prison, he must have information we can use. Santos I want you to pay him a visit, see if you can get that information from him"

"On it, I think he's in Rikers"

"Hal, Miguel the apartment by the docks"

"We went there but as you thought the apartment had been thoroughly gone through, not much left, but we started to watch the place and asked around, apparently they shouldn't have been there because the owners haven't completed renovations so we'd planned on going back and going through every room in the building in case they decided to use them"

"Take another team of two with you"

"Reco, the weapons you came across in Syria when you worked for that company, they're from the same consignment"

"You want me to pal up with some of the guys and see what they knew, I'll take Ram with me, he's up on the weapons"

"Hector I want to know how the police or FBI found the safe house"

"Si, Seth?"

I watched as he looked at Seth and Seth nodded his agreement.

"Babe, could you find the witness Julian Herchie?"

I'd totally forgotten about that, the supposed witness who said he'd seen me shoot Verity, he must be a part of this so yes I'd do my best to find him.

"Tank, how was Morelli at Steph's apartment that night, who was the man he was supposedly after?"

"May need Little Girl to talk with Eddie"

I nodded at that, it would be nice to see Eddie.

"Quinn, Kai the men and cars that turned up headed back to New York, find out what you can. I'm going to try and backtrack who helped to set me up with laying a false trail to that farm"

"Hal, you're in charge of making sure all reports are posted and each member of the team is kept up to date"

As Ranger went through the list of things he wanted done I watched and listened almost shell socked at where his thinking was taking him, there was only one piece of the puzzle I was missing.

"Any questions?"  
"What about Jairo?"  
"His father is on to that, he has contacts that are still loyal to him and he wants him found and stopped as much as we do. Report back tomorrow at 1700hrs, that should give enough time to find something"  
As everyone got up to leave Ranger walked out with me.

"I'll be at my cubbie"  
"No, I've set up a desk and computer in my office for you, it's more private in there"  
"Does Tank have enough men for the business to run smoothly?"  
"Yeah, he brought in some guys from Miami and Boston and we have two new men who started a week ago"

Once inside his office I couldn't believe that he'd moved a full size desk in here for just for me and displayed next to the computer were the tools of my trade, a set of colorful highlighters, paper and files with a white box sat on my chair. I walked over to where I would be working and tentatively opened the box smiling as I looked down at two beautiful doughnuts.

"Thank you"  
"You're welcome, just don't let anyone see them"  
I laughed at that because I knew of his rules about food, but that was one thing about Ranger, he wouldn't force me to give these up even if he didn't approve of me eating them. I sat down at the desk wondering where the hell to start in order to find Herchie, I mean he'd disappeared and I knew there was nothing to find from a search. How the hell had I not noticed him if he was at that farm? So maybe he wasn't but he must have been close to be there to call the police, or maybe Blakeley had called him. I didn't have a clue what Blakeley's phone number was but thought about who might have and that reminded me of Hayden Wallace because he had worked with Blakeley or Jairo to get to the girls at that party.

"Ranger can I use my social media sites from here?"  
I looked up as I said it and could see him thinking about what I'd said, please don't let him think I'm just wasting my time.

"It should be fine Babe, I'm sure Hector has the system protected"  
I turned back to the computer and logged into Facebook totally ignoring anything on my page and put Hayden's name in the search. The second person looked familiar so I went into his page. You see that's the thing about Facebook you can put as little or as much information in as you want and I was banking on Hayden being too egotistical to leave anything out, and there it was, did he really think any woman would want to call him? I wrote the number down and minimized the screen; I might want to go back to it later. Then I was inputting his number into the search program that Hector had shown me. As soon as I saw the number of calls he'd made I knew I was in for a long trawl. With all the numbers downloaded into a spreadsheet I deleted where numbers were repeated and made a start. For each number I found a name, none them was Herchie but then I didn't expect that, but what was interesting was a name that I did recognize, Martin Nolan the man who had applied for a job here at Rangeman and with Quinn.

"Babe you get anywhere?"  
"Shit Ranger you scared me"  
He had the nerve to laugh as he bent forward and kissed me on the head.

"You need a break and it's time we ate"  
"Okay just let me put a name into the search programs"  
"Who is it?"  
"Do you remember when Quinn brought up a name as an applicant for a job and I told him he'd applied here and wasn't who he said he was, well his name cropped up as someone who called Hayden's phone"  
"Let it run then we can pick it up later"

Once done we went up to seven, hell I hadn't even been up here since we'd got back then just stared at the worktop in the kitchen because sat there looking back at me was my cookie jar. That someone had collected all the pieces they could was amazing but that someone had somehow put those pieces back together was incredible. It must have taken an age to sort through the pieces and glue it back together, okay there were pieces missing and not all the pieces fit exactly together but as I looked I felt so emotional, tears coming to my eyes. I felt Ranger at my back and as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Ram collected all the bits and cleaned them and then put it back together again. He worked out what he thought had happened, where the bullet hit"  
"He must have spent ages doing that"  
"He did, it was sat in the middle of the conference room table while we worked to find you. Ella must have brought it up here"

"Would you mind if I keep him?"  
"No, he's where he belongs with you"

I gently touched the curve of head on the cookie jar almost expecting it to fall apart and then smiling focused on what was important, food. Ranger brought out a heated bowl to reveal something that looked like a casserole.

"Ropa Vieja, olives, pimientos and capers with garlic and spices. Ella always makes me this as my first meal when I come back"

I added the stew to a bed of rice and inhaled the aroma, it smelt wonderful and I wasn't disappointed when I tasted it, I think I even managed to finish everything on my plate.  
"That was amazing, is it easy to make?"  
"Easy enough, it's a traditional Cuban recipe"  
"I'll have to get Ella to do more Cuban food if they all taste as good as this"  
"I'll ask her, I'm sure she would love to. What do you want to do now?"  
"I want to get back to that search"  
"Okay, but don't overtire yourself"  
I helped to move the dishes we'd used and then went back down to five in the lift, it was quiet with just the hum of computers and the lighting was dimmed. Once back at my desk I was pleased that the search had finished so sent it to be printed and then carried on going through the telephone numbers. By the time I had finished that I had nineteen names to research, some were women and maybe I needed to discount them but for some reason didn't, after all not all villains were men. The names went into the search and as they finished they would go automatically to the printer, with only four done I put my head down on the desk, I had no idea what time it was but maybe a little nap would be good while I waited.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

I woke with the sound of a shrill beeping noise and instantly sat up my stomach shouting at the quick movement, shit how was I here in bed, I'm sure I was just having a nap at my desk. The noise continued and it was then that I realized it was an alarm for the building. I was on my own and the other half of the bed felt cold meaning Ranger must have got up hours ago. Seeing I was in one of Ranger's T-shirts and a pair of pants I quickly pulled on some joggers and hoodie and headed for the door. The noise was insane out in the hall and of course the lift had been automatically switched off, so it would have to be the stairs for me. I came into the corridor on five and went down to Ranger's office, not there, so then headed for the monitoring stations. No one was there either, how strange was that? So reluctantly I made my way down to the lobby not seeing or hearing anyone on the way and as I stepped out into the lobby that was empty as well. The alarms were still blaring as I stepped through the door and onto the sidewalk starting to feel worried when no one was there. I felt an arm come round my waist and suddenly as my head and my back hit the wall saw that it was Morelli who had hold of me. His hand was in my hair holding it to the wall and the look on his face was reminiscent of when he had shot me, cold and angry, his eyes intently looking at me.

"Cupcake what have I told you about hanging around with these thugs"

I couldn't speak, my voice just wouldn't work and as the seconds passed I could feel panic creeping through me.

"I told you to stay at home, I told you how I hated your hair in such a mess and look at you, you're a disgrace with what you're wearing"  
I felt him pulling me by my hair and saw he was heading for his truck.

"Have I got to handcuff you to make you do as I tell you?"  
As he started to push me into the car I started to scream and hit and kick him, I was terrified of what he would do to me, I was terrified of being locked in his house all by myself.

I felt a band of arms around me and that just intensified the fear, I wouldn't, couldn't let him take me and live with how he wanted me to be. I fought, wriggled and screamed; surely someone would come and help me, where was Ranger or one of the Merry Men? The grip around me got tighter to the point that I was struggling to breathe, my screams died down and all I could hear was the beat of my heart and another sound, so soft I but wanted to hear it.

"Bebé, por favor despierta, nadie te está lastimando"

"Babe, you're safe, no one is here just me"  
The voice echoed in my head and I was so intent on listening to it I stopped struggling and went still and that's when a smell so familiar teased at my senses.

"Cariño, estoy aquí contigo pero necesitas abrir los ojos y despertar"

Ranger, Ranger was here, here with me, his smell that calmed me was what I was sensing. I slowly opened my eyes seeing him looking intently at me, he looked so worried as he held me to him, what the hell had just happened?

"Babe, are you with me?"  
"Yeah, what happened?"  
"You had a nightmare"  
"Oh god it felt so real"

"You were screaming and fighting someone off, who was it?"  
"Morelli, there was no one around, the whole place was empty and he was waiting outside"

"He's nowhere near, Babe, it was just a dream"  
My breathing had slowed back down along with my heart rate but my wrist that I'd hurt was painful. I wanted to ignore it but to be honest it felt as though something was digging into my skin and as I moved it I winced.

"Babe what's hurting?"

"My arm"

He gently held my arm in his hands and looked at the cast around my arm then his eyes met mine.

"You've broken it, I'll get Brown up here"  
Before I could even reply to tell him not to he was already on his phone asking Bobby to come up to seven.

"Do you want him in here or through in the lounge?"  
"Lounge"

He pushed himself from the bed and put on a pair of joggers over his boxers and then gently lifted me from the bed, walking through to the lounge and placing me on the couch. I heard the knock on the door just before Ranger opened it and Bobby walked in, we'd obviously disturbed him sleeping because he was wearing joggers as well but had on his Rangeman T-shirt.

"Steph's damaged the cast and broken it"  
"How the hell did you manage that?"  
I didn't know so couldn't answer and a look at Ranger said he wouldn't, so Bobby just knelt down in front of me and examined it.

"It's badly broken on one side, I'll need to take it off"  
With that statement he rummaged about in his bag and brought out what looked like pincers but one end was flat. The flat end went under the cast and Bobby slowly cut through the cast, I can't say that I enjoyed the experience but once he'd pulled the two halves apart the relief was immediate.

"There was a piece digging into your skin so it should feel better, I'll put a bandage around it for now but I need to X-ray it in the morning and remove those stitches"  
"Thanks Bobby"  
"No problem Bomber, get some sleep and I'll see you later"  
Ranger walked him to the door and I'm sure they had a conversation before I watched as he came back into the room. It was as he passed the light coming from the kitchen that I noticed a large red mark on his arm, I'm sure he didn't have that before, then it hit me, I was the one responsible, that's how I broke the cast.

"Ranger I'm so sorry"  
"What for Querida"  
I placed my hand on his arm feeling absolutely mortified.

"Hey you didn't do it on purpose, I didn't want to grab hold of your arm, but it was a hell of a swing Babe"  
He was trying to make light of it and maybe it worked, I smiled at him as I stood up and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"I love to have you in my arms Babe, and I love it more when it's you who comes to me to be held"  
"I must have really you hit you hard to break the cast"  
"It's just a bruise, as long as you haven't done more damage to your wrist then it doesn't matter"  
"What time is it?"  
"Only three, you ready to go back to sleep?"  
Was I, could I trust myself not to lash out in my dreams again? I must have hesitated because he just turned me and guided me back to bed.

"Don't even think that you'll hurt me Babe, we'll work through it together okay?"  
"Okay"

I didn't dream again once asleep and I woke when Ranger brought me a coffee in bed, a look at the clock told me it was already 8.30, time to get up and start the day.

"Brown said to go straight to the infirmary"  
"Did you have a meeting this morning?"  
"No, Reco isn't back yet so we're still scheduled it for 1700hrs"

I subtracted 12 from 17 to get 5 o'clock so with that worked out and my mug empty I went to the closet to pull out clothes. Once in my Rangeman uniform Ranger went down with me to four, it seemed Ranger was staying with me for this visit with Bobby. I liked the way Ranger had his arms around my waist, it was almost as if he needed to have that physical contact.

"Bomber, how's the arm this morning?"  
"Good"

"You still look a bit pale, you sleeping okay?"

I didn't answer that knowing the answer but no way was I going to talk to Bobby about it.

He carefully unwrapped the bandage and examined my arm and then brought out tweezers and scissors to remove the stitches. The X-ray machine was in the room next door so once done I returned to my seat watching fascinated as the picture came up on Bobby's computer screen.

"It looks good Bomber, the bullet must have grazed the bone but I don't see any fracture so maybe for a couple of days wear a support bandage until you feel more comfortable, I'll give you some simple exercises to help get the muscles flexing. Okay now the other arm"  
He repeated the process of removing the stitches and left my arm with nothing on, it felt strange but so much better to have my skin uncovered.

"Now hop on the bed and let's check out your stomach"  
Ranger helped me onto the bed and I lifted the hem of my T-shirt seeing the large yellow of the bruise. He used his hand and finger to poke and prod, and like a good patient I am told him when and where it was still tender.

"Healing nicely, give it a couple of days and then we can try some simple exercises to rebuild those muscles"  
"Thanks Bobby"  
"No problem, just be careful and no heavy lifting or bending too quickly"  
Did he give Ranger a look, I wasn't sure, did that mean I couldn't enjoy myself with my man, again I wasn't sure. My philosophy after an injury was try it and if it hurt stop, that is except when Morelli was near me, maybe that's why I wasn't adverse to seeing Bobby lately and steering clear of Morelli.

"Morelli removed the tracker from my car"  
"Why say that Babe?"  
"Because if I had an accident it would mean no one from Rangeman would turn up and I wouldn't come here to see Bobby"  
As I said this and looked at Ranger I knew he understood why I was saying it and he automatically pulled me to him.

"I know you can't stop him from getting near me, shit happens with me"  
"I know, but I will do everything in my power to ensure it doesn't happen"

"Okay, I have searches to finish analyzing"

"We'll pick up some breakfast from the break room"

So here I was again, sat at my desk spooning granola and yoghurt lazily into my mouth while I read through the searches I'd printed last night. I started with Nolan because I knew he was involved but discovered for some reason the search of his number brought up nothing, how was that? Unless of course he had a phone that he only used for Hayden and had another phone that he used for everyone else.

"Ranger I need to talk to Eddie, what phone should I use?"  
"I'm sorry Babe, Hector should have one for you, use mine"

I was surprised when Eddie answered so quickly.

"Ranger?"  
"No Eddie it's me"  
"Hell it's good to hear your voice, how are you doing?"  
"Good Eddie, Eddie can we talk?"  
"Meet me at the diner, Ranger knows where, at 1 o'clock"

I just looked at the phone as he finished the call.

"What did he say Babe?"  
"To meet him at 1 o'clock at the diner you knew"

"I've met up with him there before, so we'll go together. Babe Santos just messaged to say that Blakeley got involved in a fight yesterday and died this morning from the knife wounds he received"

"How could that happen?"  
"Prisoners are very resourceful, it could have been anything strong and sharpened"  
"You think it's a coincidence?"  
"My gut says that someone got to him, or had someone do it"

"He would have known what was going on wouldn't he?"  
"Some of it, it depends on how good the person was who was in charge"

"I suppose, Nolan only seemed to use one phone when he had any contact with Hayden"

"You've tied Nolan into this?"

"Yeah, sorry with falling asleep I only got back to looking at that this morning"  
"Babe that you made that connection is amazing, he's another lead for us to follow"

"Seems weird that he applied for a job here though, and with Quinn"

"Maybe, but then again Reco might know him through that mercenary outfit"

"You figured out any more?"

"Not really, I've been chasing back where I'd been and who I spoke with"  
"Okay I'm gonna head up to seven and change, I don't think being in a Rangeman uniform would be a good idea"

I wondered over to where Ranger was sat and standing behind him wrapped my arms around him from behind then leaned over and kissed him on his cheek.

"I won't be long"

It was weird really because Ranger was wearing blue jeans and a black sweater over a white T-shirt making me wonder why he wasn't wearing a uniform, not that I minded because he looked edible dressed like that, the jeans emphasizing his shape and the sweater pulled up on his arms showed the muscles in his arms, I definitely liked the look. Fifteen minutes later I was back downstairs wearing black hipster jeans tucked into a pair of black leather ankle boots. The jeans didn't ride high so were well away from my bruising a roll neck sweater in a deep red fell to my hips. I'd wanted my hair out of the way but couldn't get myself to braid it so it was fastened back in a low ponytail. As I entered Ranger's office I didn't immediately see him so thought maybe he was somewhere talking with someone.

"Babe, I'm here"  
I walked over to an open door where his voice had come from amazed when I looked inside, there were racks with clothes hung up and another door that led into what looked like a bathroom,

"Sometimes it's easier to just shower and change in here"

He turned and started to come out carrying a coat over his arm and once back in the office handed a jacket to me.

"Wear this Babe, it's a similar material to the gilet you had"  
"Bullet proof?"  
"Yes"

As I pulled on the jacket I appreciated how light it seemed and how well it fit me. It had the appearance of leather with long sleeves and it came down midway on my thighs, there were pockets at waist height and further down and when I pushed my hands inside I felt the cold hard metal of a gun. Pulling it out I realized it was the one Ram had set me up with.

"It looks good on you Babe and hopefully with it being longer and with sleeves will protect you better"

"I love it, is yours the same?"  
He nodded his head as he pulled on a black jacket that went down to his hips, almost similar in style to a biker jacket with a zip that went at an angle across to the side of his neck.

"Reece sent them through with a message that he was protecting his best assets"  
"Asset, not something I've been called before"

His hand came out to take hold of mine as we walked along the corridor to the stairs, not what I was expecting, but was relieved as we came out onto four and proceeded to Hector's office. I hadn't been in here before, he guarded the room as though an enemy were right outside, when the door clicked and opened I looked at Ranger who quirked his lips and nodded at a camera on the wall behind us.

"Estefania, how are you?"  
"Good thanks Hector"

"I have phone, same as old one and new watch"  
Now that the cast wasn't on my arm he fastened the watch around my wrist but making sure it wasn't tight and then slipped my phone into a pocket of the jacket I hadn't found, the phone sat snuggly inside in a pocket that was high up but to the side, maybe not the easiest place to get to it though.

"Any developments Hector?"

"I'm almost sure they followed Ella before you arrived"  
"Hector don't tell Ella, she'd be mortified by that"

"Ranger that means someone knew Ella worked here and was probably watching the building"

"Si Estefania"  
"Hector check out the videos for the perimeter when she left to go there, I know it wasn't long after Steph found me that we headed there"

As we left to go down to the garage that had me thinking, why the time lag from them finding the house to when they eventually turned up, I mean we must have been there a night and half a day before they'd arrived, why so long?

Once in the garage Ranger passed the usual cars and stopped next to an old looking dark grey Jeep Cherokee. Ranger opened the passenger door to help me in and I looked around the interior as he walked round.

"Need to be discreet Babe, but don't worry it's been totally overhauled"  
I didn't doubt that fact, Ranger wouldn't have it any other way.

I recognized the diner on Greenwood Avenue opposite the cemetery, not that I had ever been in there, and was also not surprised that we were early. The booth at the back was empty and as Ranger sat down with his back to the wall a sudden feeling of déjà vu hit me, he still looked dangerous but absolutely hot as he had all those years ago.

"You remembering the first time we met?"  
"Yeah, hell I was so naïve back then"

"I remember this sassy woman in her skirt and shoes who wanted to catch a cop"  
"I was desperate for money and he was worth a lot"

"But you never came after me when I was FTA"

"No, I wouldn't take the job which is how Barnhart got involved"  
"Why didn't you take the job?"  
"I just knew you wouldn't have done it"

"Thanks Babe"  
"For what?"  
"Always trusting me"

I wanted to say more but the waitress and Eddie both turned up together, so after ordering coffee I sat next to Ranger opposite Eddie noting he was also in jeans and a hoodie.

"Thanks for agreeing to see me Eddie"  
"No problem Steph, I'm really glad you're okay, I couldn't believe when I heard Morelli say he'd shot you"  
"Yeah well, anyhow I really wanted to find out what you may know about some of the things that have happened"  
"Fire away, I'll help if I can"  
"The witness that was at the farm, who was he?"  
"Don't know, the feds took him and said once they had his statement they cut him loose"  
"So the phone call to get the police to the farm?"  
"Came through dispatch but I know Jones hit a dead end trying to trace it, must have a been burn phone"

"So no one knows who this witness was?"  
"Not on our side"

"Who was murdered that Morelli was investigating?"  
"From what I know he turned up dead in an alley on Stark, word on the street was that he was selling guns"  
"Who was he?"

"Guy from New York. At first impressions he looked rough, badly dressed and dirty, but we struggled to identify him, he had no ID on him, no money, no phone or keys so Morelli assumed that maybe the buyer had cleaned him out, ID came in from a missing persons report. His parents were devastated, seemed he became rebellious at home, dropped out of college and then disappeared. No record or any infringements with the police, clean as a whistle. His name was Gavin Bleak"  
"So what did Morelli have to go on?"  
"Nothing that I knew of, Jones wasn't going for him selling guns but then suddenly Morelli said he had a tip of where another meet was going down and that the seller was the one who killed Bleak and he was trying to sell the guns he'd got from him"  
"Any idea where this tip came from?"  
"None, Morelli said he wouldn't give out the name of his snitch, said it was none of our business, which I suppose I could understand. Steph why the questions?"  
"There's more to find out Eddie"  
"You know Morelli is on suspension?"  
"Yeah I heard"  
"He's not taking it well Steph, he's been drinking a lot and he's avoiding everyone, he's real mad Steph so you need to be careful"  
"I suppose he blames me for him shooting me"

"Something like that, but he's also keen to try and get something over on you Ranger and your men"  
"Thanks Eddie, I'll do everything we can to keep Steph safe and I'll warn the men as well"

"I'm sorry Steph I really don't know what happened that night you got hurt, if Morelli thought guns were being sold he'd have gone in with backup and in unmarked cars, but I can't understand how no one was hurt, lots of bullets fired but no injuries or damage to vehicles"

"You've already helped Eddie, thanks for coming here"  
"If you think of anything else just drop me a message"  
"Eddie, why the street clothes?"  
"I don't know, I thought if I was seen as someone who didn't associate with Ranger maybe someone would drop some info my way"

He stood up as he said that making me really appreciate what a good friend he was. I sighed as I finished my coffee noting Ranger hadn't touched his, and then we left as well, returning straight back to Rangeman. I had another name to follow up on and something was beginning to niggle at the back of my mind.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

RPOV

Steph was quiet when we got back to the office, no doubt going through what we'd heard from Eddie. I left her in front of her computer and headed to see Tank in his office.

"Ranger?"  
"Steph and I spoke with Eddie today, he implied that Morelli was after Rangeman as well as Steph"  
"I'll up us to alert status 1 and inform the patrols to be on the look out. Little Girl will need to be careful"  
"I know, I don't think she's feeling confident enough to go out on her own, but as you know if a call came in that suggested family of friends were at risk she'd be there with them"

"She got a tracker and panic button?"  
I nodded, a lot of good that did her before, but I couldn't come up with a better alternative.

"We meeting later?"  
"Yeah, hopefully we'll have something to go on. We found out the name of the man who was murdered, Eddie said that Morelli got a tip of a meet going down that involved the murderer and maybe the guns that supposedly were taken"  
"I can't believe anyone would use that car park behind Little Girls building Ranger"  
"Personally I think the whole thing stinks"

"Yeah well I can't find out who the snitch is supposed to be, no mention on the street of any arms deals going down and no one knew who it was that was murdered"

"That's basically what Eddie implied as well"

"I'll see you at the meeting"  
Yeah too much of the information we had smelt like it had been staged, the problem was who was doing the staging and why. I needed to get back to where I was this morning and for some reason New York City was beginning to crop up too much so maybe that's where I needed to focus. Steph was sat at the computer when I went back into my office, she was so absorbed in what she was doing that I didn't think she'd realized I'd come in. I walked quietly up behind her surprised when she spoke first.

"Don't think you can scare me to death, I know you're there"

She turned and looked up at me smiling, her instincts seemed to be coming back on line if she was aware that I was there.

"How you doing Babe?"  
"I followed that dead guy, Gavin Bleak, not much there really, what Eddie said seemed to fit. He disappeared about four weeks ago, nothing on his bank records or phone, I think who ever is doing this was just using him and maybe he got cold feet"

"It's not unusual for some of the runners to turn up dead, they may know too much and become a liability"

"Okay, I'm gonna focus on Nolan and then Tank asked me to do some snooping on any FBI agents that have been involved"

"Be careful with that sometimes they have alerts set up to let them know someone is snooping around"

"Okay, I'm going to get something from the break room, you want something?"  
I nodded my head knowing it was time for both of us to eat and trusted her to bring something I would like and then brought up all of my reports and started a search that would have New York City as a search parameter. It surprised me how often the name had come up so I started the arduous task of bringing together those references into a chronological order then started to read. 1700hrs came quickly and it was Steph who tried to come up behind me this time, I turned just as she was about to put her hands on my shoulders.

"Dam, why can't I sneak up on you?"  
"Same as you, I just know you're there"

"It's time for the meeting"  
I closed down my computer, saving where I'd got to, and we walked down to the conference room. Everyone was already there waiting so we quickly sat down in our places.

"Santos I know you tried to talk with Blakeley but for everyone's information he's been killed inside the prison"  
"Thought it was too good to be true that he might still be breathing"

I looked to Tank and nodded, yeah it was always going to be a long shot that we'd get any information from him.

"Hal"

"The apartment that we had the address for was empty, someone, maybe the police had cleaned it out. So on a hunch we went through every other apartment we could, the place isn't supposed to have any residents yet because the contractor hasn't completed and the permits aren't in place. One floor above we found an empty place but there were a few remnants of crates"  
"You think they stored the guns there?"  
"Probably, thing is we got caught by a buildings inspector asking us what the hell we were doing there. Once he'd calmed down he apologized, saying there'd been a problem with three guys coming in and out of the place"  
"Description"

"The first two descriptions fitted Verity and Blakeley but the third I wasn't sure of. Late thirties, tall, well built, short white dyed hair and a tattoo of a serpent running from his wrist up his arm"  
"That's Nolan"  
"Babe?"  
She passed a photograph and description to me that was then circulated around the men.

"Shit, I know him"

"Where from Reco?"  
"He was part of the team in Syria"

"So what did you find out about that?"

"Caught up with a couple of the guys, man they were pissed. That incident in Syria cost them a couple of contracts, the boss Jackson is livid, he doesn't do any on the ground work just manages it from a distance. He got rid of three men after that and Nolan was one of them. Seems when they were based out there Nolan would disappear regularly for a few hours with the excuse he'd found a lonely woman, but they suspect he was the one to load the weapons within the legitimate consignment"

"Ranger why would he be applying for a job here and with us?"

I had no idea on that but again Reco had a possible reason.

"Apparently the boss has been in touch with any other businesses that run the same type of operations and passed the names on for them to be avoided"  
"He probably wouldn't see us or you Quinn as being in the same line of work"

I just hoped that Nolan thought he was applying for a job because he was now unemployed because I couldn't work out what his motive would have been otherwise.

"Tank"

"Drawn a blank on that one, no one seems to have a name of the suspect or who told him to go to Steph's building"

"Quinn"

"We had a description of the cars from Cal, no plates, but found a group of cars matching the description as being stolen early that morning from a car park in New York City. Cameras were broken and the exit gate tampered with so no leads there, police aren't following it up, just told the owners to claim against their insurance"  
"Have they turned back up?"  
"Not that I know of, but you know as well as me they could have been taken to a chop shop or even set on fire"

"Babe?"

"Herchie doesn't exist but Nolan had contact with Hayden. I'm still going through the list. A search on Nolan didn't draw attention to where he is but I'm on it"

"Little Girl did you get those names I sent you?"  
"Yes Tank, on the to do list"

"Morelli?"

I looked at Tank as I said this because I knew he was organizing the surveillance.

"Reports are that he's either at home or attending the clinic he's been referred to"

"I don't believe that"  
"Why not Babe?"  
"He hated his own company. He'll know about a tracker if it's on his car"

"Tank make sure the men have actual eyes on him, watch the back exit as well. I'm still back tracking reports but for some reason New York could be a focal point"

"Has Moreno been in touch?"

"No. I think we need to brainstorm where we go next so we'll meet at 0800hrs to start again"

The reason for me finishing the meeting was the message I'd just received on my phone, dam I really did not want another meeting but from what Reece had sent it seemed I didn't have an option.

"Babe"  
"What's happened?"  
"Why say that?"  
"You have that look about you, one that says you're pissed off"  
"Reece has asked for a meeting in New York with Agent Roberts, he's the one who pulled me in to start with"  
"When?"  
"I have to leave and meet Reece in an hour, then he'll drive us to the rendezvous"

"Will Reece have arranged the venue?"

"I would think so"

"Who are you taking with you?"  
"I can't Babe"

I could see the worry in her eyes and opened my arms to her as she stepped into me, to be honest I didn't want to go either, I didn't want to leave her, okay my men would make sure she was safe, but I'd become so used to having her with me that if we were apart I worried about her.

"You have got to be careful"  
"I will, I love you too much to loose you now"

"I love you too, but I have a horrible feeling about this"  
"Your spidey sense?"

"Yes, something bad is going to happen"  
"That could mean that you are in danger as well"  
"I know, I never did hone it down as to who it was meant for"

"I'll be back later tonight, back before you know it"

I turned her head so that my lips could skim hers and felt hers part and her teeth as she gently teased. That was all I needed before I plunged my tongue into her mouth, savoring the feel and taste of her, feeling a heat build up inside of me. As I ground my body into hers I heard a moan resonate through me inciting my muscles to tighten. Shit I had to go, the sooner I left the sooner I'd be back. I pulled away but kept her body to me, I had to get back some control and I'm sure she did as well.

"I have to go Babe"

I turned from her and walked out of the room, I couldn't look back because if I did I definitely wouldn't leave. In my office I took what weapons I could and as a second thought lifted the jacket from the couch, I would let Tank know where I was going as soon as I was on the road.

Reece was sat in a black SUV at the place he'd arranged, it was the parking area outside of a cinema complex on the outskirts of New York: for some reason the idea of being in New York didn't sit well with me. I watched as he switched his phone off and handed it to the driver so I did the same, watching as they were locked inside the glove box at the front and then sat back to watch where we were going.

"You're quiet Ranger"  
"I don't like this, New York seems to be somewhere that's cropping up a lot"  
"Well Roberts was insistent, said he had something important, too important to say over the phone and he didn't want to be seen suddenly flying down to Washington"  
"Do you think he has something on someone?"  
"Possibly, we'll know soon enough"  
"How is he getting to the meeting"

I watched as Reece smiled sure that he would still want to have control over that aspect.

"I have a driver picking him up, he should be there when we get there"

I knew the car had driven in a circuitous route to avoid being followed but recognized the area we were at being an office block on Park Ave, Upper East Side of Manhattan. The driver opened the rear door allowing Reece to exit first with me following close behind. I followed him to a lift and noted that we were only going up to the second floor and that there were no name plates indicating what businesses were there. At the end of the corridor Reece opened a half glass door that led into what would be a reception area and walked over to a second solid door that had "Conference room 1" written on the door. I followed him in and immediately went on high alert as the door slammed shut behind me.

"Ranger what are you doing?"  
"He's not here and the door swung closed and is locked"  
I saw the panic on Reece's face, not something I'd seen before and it was him who grabbed for the door handle and started to pull at it. As I looked around for another possible way to get out I noticed plumes of vapour coming from the air conditioning grills and felt a taste at the back of my throat and my eyes beginning to water. I fought to get clean air into my lungs but was beginning to loose control of my muscles. I sank to the floor, coughing, only to see Reece already unconscious on the floor. Shit, how the hell had this happened and what the hell did someone intend to do with us. My last thought was the image of my Babe, her smile and her blue eyes looking at me, shit Babe, I'm so sorry.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

SPOV

I was feeling antsy and anxious as I struggled to concentrate on the work I was doing in front of the computer. I was worried about Ranger, which was stupid really, I mean he was the big badass who could look after himself, wasn't he? I was also getting increasingly frustrated with trying to find Nolan, the man had disappeared without a trace. No bank transactions in months and forget about a phone, it was as if he'd disappeared without a trace. He had no living relatives and any he'd had originated in a small place somewhere near Houston, Texas. There was no property to follow or even a hint of a girlfriend from the spending. In the end I gave up and looked at the list that Tank had sent through along with any information he had. As I read through it I could see why he felt there was nothing to find, though I think I did recognize one of the men from that stupid reception committee we'd had with Joe Juniak and the Chief when we returned here. He wasn't the man I took a dislike to though, and neither were the other two. On a whim I remembered the name of the agent who Ranger was meeting with and that he was the one who called in for help with the case, Roberts. The problem was I didn't have a first name so called Tank on the internal phone.

"Yo"  
"Tank it's me"  
"What's up Steph?"  
He didn't sound in too good a mood when he'd said that; but never mind; this was going to be a quick question.

"Sorry to disturb you but the man Ranger's meeting with Roberts, what's his first name?"

"What the hell do you need that for? Don't answer, he's James Roberts"

I was left with silence on the phone as Tank cut me off but to be honest I didn't care, I'd got the information I needed so input his name into the search. Hell who would know there were so many men out there with the same name, so I narrowed the search to New York and asked the search to bring up a photo with each name. I felt my heart hitch as I recognized one of the photos as the man who'd looked back at me as he'd left the room, he'd been older, maybe late forties but was still a good looking man, blond short hair and pale grey eyes but also the hint of frown or worry lines etched in his face, yeah there was something about him that had my spidey sense tingling and he was the man that was meeting with Ranger and Reece. My phone was immediately in my hand but when I hit speed dial 1 and listened the voice told me the number was unavailable. Shit, I knew the driver would insist on his phone being switched off and locked away. Now what should I do, I knew Tank was too busy to even consider some feeling I might have that something may be wrong with the meeting Ranger was going to. Drumming my fingers on the desk I continued with the search on this man, I didn't care if an alert went out that someone was doing a search on him. As the program ran I looked at my watch, it had been three hours since Ranger had left and still no word, would the meeting be finished, would he call when he was on his way home. I'm sure he would do because he knew how worried I'd be. The search pinged that it was complete so I decided to read from the screen instead of printing it out, but felt disappointment grow as I read. Hell according to this he was a normal man who worked for the FBI, he probably didn't care if anyone did a search on him because there was nothing really here, or was there? The man was older than he looked, at 51, and had gone from being a detective in New York into the FBI and slowly worked his way up, I wondered if Morelli would know him because Morelli had often dome undercover work with the FBI in New York, maybe something to think about later. Roberts had married young, probably when he was in the police force but it didn't last, five years later and she divorced him. Yeah maybe living with the hours and moods could cause her to do that. There were no children involved which I always felt relieved with, but then there was no indication that he'd met someone else, which didn't gel with me. What I needed to do was find out whether there were any women in his life, so sue me, I didn't know if it was just curiosity or a feeling that I needed to do it. It had his address in a swanky apartment in the center of the city, probably easier to get to work to from there.

I jumped when the computer started to beep at me; hell I'd forgotten all about the searches that were still going on, those phone numbers. I lifted a wad of paper from the printer and started to staple the pages for each person together taking a quick look at their photo. Most were young women with the occasion man, no one I recognized so maybe they were after where Hayden would be but then I came across a photo that just didn't fit the pattern. This was an older woman, Lina Perry, aged 47 but she lived somewhere close to New York. Why would an older woman be talking to someone like Hayden? She wasn't related to him, I'd have seen that in his search results, unless she had something to do with the kidnapping. I started at the beginning of the information on her wondering why the hell it only started five years ago. There was nothing on where she was born, education or even medical, how could that be? Unless she immigrated to the States, that might be it. I studied her picture again noting that while her hair seemed dark I'm sure it was dyed, her eyes were a dark brown and she was dark skinned. Could she be from Mexico, maybe or even further south. Then it hit me, she could be related to Jario. I hadn't looked at a search on Jario so that went into the program and I looked back at Lina's details while it ran. She didn't work but lived on a small farm north of the city at an address on Birch Hill Road. Shit, I'd already read something somewhere that related to a farm, now I had to find it again.

I suddenly froze at the sudden loud shrieking of an alarm going off, as I looked up and around me I started to panic as images of my dream came back to me, I so did not want to leave this room. What if there was no one outside on the corridor or in the control room? I jumped as the door opened and Lester rushed in.

"Come on Beautiful we have to evacuate the building"

I was stood perfectly still shaking my head at him, constantly watching the door.

"Beautiful I'll be with you, everyone's heading outside"  
"He'll be there"  
"Who will?"  
"Morelli, he's waiting for me"

As Lester held my hand and tried to pull me I pulled back, there was no way I could go out of this room, not after the dream I'd had. I didn't have much choice though as Lester picked me up his arms and carried me. The hall was empty just like before and I looked to the lift to see that the alarm had shut it off, as Lester entered the stairwell I knew I was going to go into absolute panic mode. There were no sounds of voices or footsteps except for those of Lester's.

"Lester please no, don't do this, please Lester he's there waiting for me"

As I began to hyperventilate I think Lester was getting worried because as we reached the turn in the stairs he put me down on my feet.

"Look, I'll call Tank and he'll make sure he isn't there, okay?"  
"He was in the lobby"

I watched as Lester took out his phone but I could tell from his responses that Tank wasn't too happy about what he was asking.  
"Tank take some men and search the lobby and reception area"

"Morelli"

"Because I asked you to"

As Lester put his phone away he took hold of my hand and this time I felt more secure in walking down the stairs. As we came through the door into the lobby I heard a lot of noise and shouting and stopped before coming through the door. I could hear Tank's voice booming across the room, he sounded even more annoyed than he had before.

"What the fuck did you think you'd achieve?"  
"Why the hell throw an explosive device in the garage?"

"Did you think you'd get away with it?"

Each question was followed by an umph, so who ever was there was probably feeling Tank's fist. Too curious now I stepped through the door with Lester behind me and as I'd guessed Morelli was there being held up by his arms by Cal and Ram. Tank seemed to be calming down with each punch until eventually he turned to Hal.

"Fix him up, stick him in a cell and call TPD, make sure they have copies of the video. I want him charged"

"Bobby I'll meet you at the hospital"  
Everyone seemed to move at once but there was something I needed first.

"Lester get Morelli's phone for me please"  
I know he gave me a strange look but he went over to Hal and following a short conversation went through Morelli's pockets and took the phone. I could now face looking at Morelli, he was conscious, just, but didn't see me; his face was covered in cuts with blood flowing from them and from his nose, which looked to be broken. By the way he was grimacing I'd hazard a guess that his ribs were injured but by looking at him I suddenly felt a weight lift from me, I wasn't as afraid of him as I had been. I wasn't sure what had happened but we still needed to leave the building so I followed Lester outside and stood close while he talked to Miguel.  
"What's the damage?"  
"A couple of cars near the gates took the full impact but two of the guys were just approaching them so got caught in the blast"  
"Are they seriously hurt?"  
"Not really, maybe broken bones and bruises"  
"The garage?"  
"One pillar which is why we had to evacuate, fire inspector's in there now, he said he'd let us know when we can go back in"  
"Hector?"  
"Transferred everything over to the satellite office, he's there now with a couple of guys keeping an eye on things"

I watched as people came from the garage and soon enough we were allowed back into the building, Lester slipped the phone into my hand and then disappeared somewhere, no doubt making sure the garage was cleaned up and then talking to Hector. I was pleased that the lift was working again so went back up to five noting that Ram and Miguel were at the monitors. Once in the office I switched on Morelli's phone, I knew his password to get into it so started to check recent calls and messages. Nothing out the ordinary, his mother, Mooch and then random women had messaged him. The shock for me was seeing my parents number in the recent calls list. I couldn't deal with that now so pushed it to the back of my head I had more important things to worry about, namely finding out if Ranger was all right. The last place I looked was in his Whatsapp account and that's where I hit the jackpot. He'd had a message on the afternoon I'd been shot that simply told him that his suspect would be at the address of my apartment building, the sender was signed in as JR but there were no other conversations. JR seemed too much of a coincidence to me and now I was really worried about Ranger. Out on the corridor I could hear that Tank had returned so went out to see if he would talk to me.

"Tank do you know if Ranger is on his way back?"  
"No idea, with the systems being transferred we don't follow the trackers"  
"Tank I think something's happened to him"  
He rounded on me as I said that and I immediately took a step back, shit he was still in a fowl mood"  
"Look Steph, he can take care of himself. I've two men in the hospital and a system to get back under control. Go to bed Steph"

"But"

"For heavens sake Steph just keep out of the way"  
Everyone was busy working, running back and forth, I assumed some were down in the garage or at the satellite office and to be honest no one seemed to see me, I was obviously in the way, so I returned to the office and picked up my jacket then as a second thought some of the paperwork and quietly went up to seven. As I stood in the lift I just knew I had to find Ranger and if that meant going on my own then that's what I'd do. By the time I had changed clothes a plan was starting to form in my mind. I dressed in black cargos, a black roll neck sweater and cat boots then went on the hunt around the apartment. I collected together as many weapons as I could find, and believe me there were plenty to find, that I only had one gun was disappointing but I'd found all sorts of different knives. I rolled my hair into a French bun at the back of my head, a perfect place to slide in two stiletto knives, a carving knife went into the belt of my cargos and having found Ranger's utility belt I also had cuffs and pepper spray, along with a can of hairspray. My jacket took my gun and papers so now I needed to get out of here.

No one took any notice of me as I went down in the lift to the lobby, Hal looked up and seemed surprised.

"My Dad's coming for me"  
And seeing as his taxi had just pulled up outside Hal seemed happy with that.

"What you up to Pumpkin?"  
"I need to borrow Big Blue"  
"You sure about that?"  
"Yes I'm sure. Morelli was arrested tonight so there's no need to stay in anymore"  
"What's Ranger got to say about it?"  
"He's in New York at a meeting"  
"So what you got planned?"  
"I want to meet Connie and Lula and maybe call on Mary Lou"  
"You want me to drive you?"  
"No, I'm fine driving"  
"Okay, I'll drop you off at the back of the house in the lane"  
"Is Mum still mad at me?"

"I don't know what she is. She got mad, she talked a lot and then she really hit the booze but now she's gone real quiet, she's not spoken with anyone"  
"She'd called Morelli"  
"Yeah I was there and told her to"

I turned surprised at that.

"Why?"

"She spoke with a lot of people, called it her fact finding mission so I thought it couldn't do any harm. I even asked Joe Juniak to come over and talk to her so I think she needed to hear what Morelli had to say"  
"So you think she's, what thinking through what she heard?"  
"Yeah I'd say that's exactly where she's at, people told her exactly what they've seen her do to you and what she's said"

"Wow, and Val?"  
"Val's worried"  
I didn't respond to that because I knew if Mum changed how she behaved Val wouldn't know what to do, Mum was her idol on how to behave, she wouldn't know what to do, that was assuming Mum even changed how she spoke or how she viewed people, especially me. As we pulled up behind the garage Dad killed the lights and opened the garage door for us to look at the hood of Big Blue peeping out from underneath a dust sheet.

"Keys are in the front"  
He said as he pulled the cover off.

"Tank's full of gas, just take it easy Pumpkin"

As I climbed in and adjusted the seat Dad stood at the doors and closed them as I drove out. Hell I'd forgotten how hard this car was hard to drive, no power steering and brakes that you needed to hit the pedal to the floor with. It was slow to move and lumbered around the corners but I didn't care, it was transport, my transport to somehow find Ranger.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

I headed toward New York thinking about where the hell I would go, I mean I didn't know the place and had no idea of where Reece would have planned for the meeting to be. My stomach growled loudly reminding me I'd missed dinner with everything that had happened. Pulling into a service area I headed for the diner to eat and then stopped dead. Shit I had no money on me, how the hell was I going to pay for it, returning to the car I dug out the papers and started to read, if I was busy my brain could somehow ignore my stomach. I found the search on Lina Perry and checked the address it gave and started the arduous task of reading through the rest of the searches. Nothing, no one had that address, so why did I feel I'd read something important before. Shit I hadn't printed out the search on Roberts, I rested my head against the steering wheel, so dammed annoyed at myself, racking my brain to try and remember what I'd read about him. He'd lived in the city that I remembered, his family had been local because he was born there but I hadn't got to looking at his family history, so what was it that had my senses piqued? His medical, his medical from when he was a kid, well a teenager, he'd broken his leg when he'd an accident with a quad bike on his parents farm. That was all I needed as I put in the address for where Lina Perry lived into my phone; 650 N Birch Hill Rd., it was too much of a coincidence that a farm had cropped up. I started the car and pulled out into traffic with a new enthusiasm and even felt that Big Blue was giving her best for me to get there.

"You have reached your destination"

Yeah right, all I could see was a tall double gate opening into a long drive with no buildings in sight. I drove past the gates and pulled well off the road and then pulled up Google maps on the screen hitting for a satellite view. Once I'd zoomed in I could see where I was and the buildings that made up the farm. The house looked modern, not what I expected, but there were a number of outbuildings set away from the house and I knew that's where I needed to be. I found a route that I could take through the woods and then drove further down the road, I needed to hide Big Blue from sight but still be close to where I entered the property. I found an area off the road and then tried covering her with branches, shit she was so dam bright I couldn't see how anyone would miss her. I checked my clothing and especially my weapons before leaving the car slipping a pen light into my utility belt and my phone in my jacket pocket. I'd had to turn it off because the battery was getting low and I might need it later. It was pitch dark making me shudder slightly as I remembered the last time I'd had to walk in the dark, but this time was different it wasn't about finding an FTA it was about finding Ranger because like before I had that feeling that he was definitely here. As I walked carefully through the trees I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on and started to panic that maybe something really bad had happened to him, but I'd know wouldn't I, I'd know if he was dead. I stopped as the tears threatened to come to my eyes, no he wasn't, he was still alive and it was up to me to get him out. I just seemed to put one foot in front of the other, it had to be really early in the morning because there was no sign of the day coming and wondered if Tank was any happier. Hopefully they'd just think I was asleep on seven, I didn't think anyone would be looking for me, hadn't Hector said they only looked for the tracker when they thought I was in danger or missing. I didn't know how long I'd been walking for but I could see lights up ahead of me, I knew it should be the main house that should be lit up but suddenly worried in case all of the buildings were. As I came to the edge of the trees I could see the main house to the right and breathed out a sigh of relief as I looked further along to my left to see the out buildings in darkness. I'd come too far over and misjudged where I was so slipped back into the cover of the trees and made my way over to the first barn. The back of the barn was almost to the tree line so I carefully crept across the gap and then with my ear against the wood tried to make out if there was anyone there. I nearly jumped a mile when something kicked at the wall and landed on my backside on the ground then almost laughed as I heard shuffling and neighing from inside. Horses, they kept the horses in here and to be honest I had no feeling that Ranger was in there.

The next building was further away so this time I ran across to it making sure no one was about then stopped and ducked to the ground when I heard voices. They were round at the front of the building; probably keeping guard; shit now what? They obviously weren't moving and the waft of cigarette smoke floated in the air, so I crawled the last few yards and then stood up. With my back to the wall I very slowly made my way along heading to the other side, my logic being that if someone walked from the main house they wouldn't see me. Half way along my breath caught in my throat, I had a funny feeling down in the pit of my stomach just as I had near that grain storage unit. He was near; I could feel him and I knew he must be alive and that gave me all the courage I needed to keep going. Along the side of the building I was pleased when I saw a side door and even the padlock didn't threaten my mood, because I had my tool kit in my pocket that Hector had given me. I kept going to the corner and peaked around the side to the front. There were two men sat on chairs smoking but both had rifles across their knees and both had side arms in the belt of their jeans.

"How long we here for?"

"God knows how long,"  
"What does the Señora want with him?"

"Something about revenge"  
"She seems too mild mannered to want that"

"Don't let her demeanour fool you, hard as nails that one"

"So what we waiting for?"  
"Some guy to arrive I think"

I'd heard enough, because to be honest, this guy they were talking about could turn up at any time, I needed to get inside. I returned to the side door I'd passed before taking out my toolkit and used the long tool, it didn't matter that it was dark, feel, that's what Hector had said. I felt when the tool was in the right place then I held myself close to the padlock hoping to diminish any sound I made. Once undone, I slowly slid the padlock from the door. My greatest fear was that the door would creak as I opened it so very slowly a fraction at a time I pushed the door in. Once the gap was large enough I slipped in and ducked down in the darkness. I couldn't see a dam thing it was so black in here, did I dare use the light? I had to so took it out and switched it on. The sight of Ranger toward the back of the barn me made me gasp, oh dear god what the hell had they done to him?


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

RPOV

I felt the cold of water splash against my face, that was my introduction to consciousness, and then I gasped as a punch hit me under my ribcage.

"I think he's awake now"

Trying to control my breathing I slowly opened my eyes trying at the same time to work out where I was. My wrists were both fastened to the side and above my head and it was then that the pains in my shoulders made me realize that I was suspended above the ground. In front of me was a woman I hadn't seen before, she was shorter than Ella and had dyed black hair. She looked to be maybe late forties but it was her eyes that held me, dark, deep and emotionless. She was wearing too much makeup and was carrying too much weight, especially dressed as she was in tight jeans and a sweater. She had probably been a pretty woman once but not now.

"Mr Manoso so glad at last that you could join us"

I didn't respond, no point really, so I looked beyond her to where I was. The room we were in was large with a concrete floor covered in dirt and straw, it stank of manure probably from some of the large pieces of equipment stacked at the other side of the building. A farm, another fucking farm, how ironic was that.

"I've waited a long time to get you here, a very long time, time in which I had to work my way to where I am now. So we can wait a few more hours"  
I didn't respond again, which by the look of her face she didn't like.

"Aren't you going to ask why Mr Manoso?"

As she nodded her head a man came into my line of sight and landed his fist on my jaw, sending my head back with a resounding crack against metal.

"You destroyed what I once had, destroyed the man who loved me, who would have given me the world. You!"

I had no idea what she was talking about but as her anger flared an accent reared from how she spoke. I reassessed her looks and the accent and for some reason decided that maybe she was from central or southern America, hell there were a lot of men whom I had destroyed down there.

"My son will be here soon and when he arrives we will kill you, slowly and painfully just like you deserve"

A nod of her head as she turned to leave brought back the pain from the man, but this time the coward was using piece of metal to do the damage. I closed my eyes and shut down my mind, effectively absorbing the pain as it came, my stomach, ribs and side as well as my face and head were taking a hell of a beating. I had no idea when the strikes stopped I was trying to work through the pain. My ankles were shackled when I tried to move them, shit I was fastened across something splayed out in an X, and I had no idea how I could get myself free of this and no one would know where I was or even if I was missing, they'd just assume I was still with Reece. As I passed through times of consciousness all I could think of was my Babe, she'd be worried where I was and that I hadn't called, her eyes looking into mine kept me sane and it was then that I realized I might never see her again or touch her skin, feel her beneath me as we made love. I think that missing her was my biggest fear along with how she would cope. That had always been one of my worst fears and a reason for not getting involved too deeply with her. Hell I could almost feel her near to me and that was my last thought as I drifted back into the dark.

It was the noise of metal scraping that had me becoming aware of where I was, but the smell of strawberries engulfed me and my fear of leaving Steph came flooding back. As my right arm fell I winced out in pain from the feelings in my muscles and joint and then my eyes shot open as I realized someone had undone one of the shackles, looking back at me were the deep blue eyes of my Babe.

"Can you undo the other arm if I work on your ankles?"

She whispered to me.

"We have to get out of here"  
I took the tool from her hands and worked against the pain across my chest for my right hand to reach my other wrist. I watched as she bent down and started to work at the lock on one of my ankles, now aware that I had been fastened against an enormous wheel from a farm machine. We both stopped and kept perfectly still as a noise came from the large doors to the front of the building, shit someone was coming in here already, time to speed up and get out of here. Only one section of the door opened and the light from the outside silhouetted the shape of a man in the doorway, only one man walked inside, the bastard who had half beaten me to death. He sauntered in with the metal bar in his hand but Steph to my amazement, stood up and faced him standing forward and to one side. I willed her to move, to get out and run but it seemed she had no intention of doing that.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Steph didn't answer and I really didn't want to know what expression she was giving him.

"What the fuck are you doing in here?"  
As he said that he dropped the metal bar and pulled his gun from the back of his trousers and pointed it at her, I continued to work on the second shackle while the man was obviously distracted by Steph and where she was stood. I saw her raise her hands and place them on her head, what the hell was she doing, didn't she realize that this man would kill her. I watched as he walked toward her and saw his attention move up and down her body and rest on the to the utility belt fastened outside of her jacket but around her waist. He continued to move closer to her and I saw the gleam in his eyes as he came up close.

"You sure look as though you're missing a few bits from that belt maybe I should take a closer look"  
Steph moved her left arm down and I heard the belt drop to the floor but as he came up to her and started to unfasten her jacket her right hand came down in a fist onto his neck. The lock gave way and I fell forward still needing to unfasten the last shackle but trying to work out what the hell had just happened. The man was on the floor with blood spilling from his neck as Steph picked up her utility belt and fastened it on before she turned back to me, all while I was unlocking the last shackle. I felt her under my shoulder trying like hell to help me to stand.

"Where's Reece?"  
"I have no idea"  
"We've got to move, there's another man out there"

I fought through the pain across my chest and in my head, pleased as my legs and arms started to do as I asked them, that the man hadn't struck me across the legs or arms amazed me. We were soon through the side door that I honestly hadn't seen before and were heading into the trees behind the barn. As we hit the tree line two shots went out from behind us and I felt Steph tense under me.

"That means they know I've gone, they'll be following close behind, walk ahead of me Babe, I can manage on my own"  
She looked at me and I could see she was going to argue.  
"No, I have a bullet proof vest on, you don't"

How the hell could I argue with that but no way was she shielding me so taking her hand we continued through the trees, probably leaving a track that could be followed. It was the sound of dogs that came first, possibly two from the sound of their feet on the ground and then I felt Steph pull me to the side and stop behind a large tree trunk that had fallen down.

"Stay here"  
I watched as she backtracked and then returned climbing over the trunk.

"Babe these dogs will savage us"  
"Yeah well I'd rather face them than have them tear away at my ankles"  
As the first dog came bounding over the trunk Steph pushed me to one side, my legs gave out under me so I ended up falling on the ground which only emphasized the injuries to my body, looking up suddenly so afraid for Steph I couldn't believe it when she seemed to be spraying something at him. The dog howled and as he landed his front legs collapsed underneath him, I acted quickly taking his head in my hands and turned it quickly the neck breaking instantly. The second dog was whimpering on the other side of the trunk, for some reason not wanting to follow, that was when I caught the smell of pepper spray in the air. I took Steph's hand and pulled her to continue away from the trunk and came face to face with the second dog, shit it had worked out to come around instead, as it bounded toward me I had its neck in my hands and was trying to move it back and onto the ground when I heard Steph say in an urgent voice.

"Drop it"  
As I let go it fell to all four legs and suddenly there was a spitting sound and it fell to the ground with Steph stood there holding a stun gun in her hand. I couldn't believe how quickly she had reacted or that she had reacted at all and for her to have used a stun gun was fucking amazing. As we started moving there was a shrieking scream that pierced the silence around us.

"What the hell was that"  
"Probably the woman who wanted me dead"  
Steph never replied or asked any questions until we reached a road then turning to me she passed me her gun which I just looked at.  
"I thought it would make too much noise"  
"Babe do you have your watch on"  
"Yeah I pressed the panic button once we were in the woods, will they get the signal from here?"  
"Where are we?"

"About 130 miles from Trenton and 65 from New York"

"Doubtful. Where's your car?"  
"Just down there"

The walking was easier on the road but I knew we had to be vigilant for the men following us, as Steph stopped and disappeared into the undergrowth I couldn't believe what I was seeing, why the hell was she in Big Blue? Why the hell wasn't she in a Rangeman car and why was she on her own? A lot of questions for when we got out of here. We removed the branches from the car and I lent back into the seat for a minute closing my eyes as she turned the key in the ignition praying that it would start, smiling slightly as the engine caught and Steph moved forward, I was surprised though when she turned around and looked across at her.

"They won't expect this car out here and especially when we're heading toward them"  
Her logic was good but I still didn't like it and I liked it less that whilst she'd got me out of there we had no chance of catching the people back at that farm.

"We'll head to Quinn's it's closer and then you owe me some answers"  
For once she didn't reply which made we wonder what the hell had happened for her to be here on her own. Tank would be more than worried, he'd be frantic once he realized she was missing, why the hell didn't she just ask for his help? Once we were driving down the road I was forever checking the mirrors, my heart sank when we saw three black trucks coming out of a drive which I assumed was the entrance to the farm and sank down in the seat. A look at Steph and I saw her sat up straight almost with a smile on her face. Two trucks pulled out in front of us and the third went past us in the opposite direction, I suppose she was right, I mean what self respecting man like me would be riding in a big blue Buick with a pretty woman at the wheel? I saw her scrabbling to get something out of her pocket so leaned over and helped her out, her phone, at least I could get in touch with someone so I powered it up and had just heard the dialing tone when the dam thing went dead.

"Sorry, but I had to use it to find my way here, I switched it off hoping there was enough power"  
"Why not plug it in and charge it"  
"In this, get real Ranger, it has a radio, mobile phones were still science fiction when they built this"

I started to relax as we hit the outskirts of the city but the pain I'd been fighting was gradually taking over, I directed Steph to Quinn's building just hoping they would let us in, let's face it having a big blue Buick turn up wouldn't be something they would expect. As we stopped in front of the doors I saw the light of a camera flashing just as Steph opened the door and got out then watched as she stood in front of the camera jumping up and down. I couldn't help the feelings that flooded through me as I watched her, they were overwhelming, god how I loved that woman, that she would single handedly come look for me and even manage to get me out of there was a true testament of her courage and love for me. Why the hell I waited so long to accept how I felt about her made me feel like kicking myself. I watched as the doors opened fully and as Steph raced back to the car and drove into the garage then once the doors closed she just sat there, not saying a word or moving. Both the doors opened at once but Steph refused to get out.

"You have to sort Ranger out first, he's hurt pretty bad"  
Quinn and Kai helped me, because to be honest I was finding it hard to find the energy to move and I was definitely hurting and stiff. I let them support me while we went to the lift seeing Steph with Seth, his arm around her shoulders and then with a silent breath I felt myself drain completely of energy, I was safe and I suppose the need to be conscious wasn't there anymore.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

SPOV

I watched as Ranger lost consciousness glad that Quinn and Kai had him and followed them as they lifted him under his arms and into a room. It was similar to the infirmary that Bobby had, maybe not as big and possibly not the same amount of equipment.

"Steph leave them with him, they'll straighten him out. You look like you need to sit down"  
I followed Seth upstairs into a familiar room and started to take off my utility belt and unfasten my jacket, but I couldn't do it, my hands were shaking too much and suddenly I had tears rolling down my face. I felt Seth finish taking my jacket off and then he was just holding me, I couldn't get control of myself and felt so stupid.

"Hey it's okay Steph, let it out and you'll feel better"  
I felt as he sat me down but continued to hold me, taking in deep breaths to try and get some control. As I stopped shaking and the tears lessened I felt him kiss the top of my head.  
"Steph have you hurt your head?"  
"No, why?"  
"You have blood in your hair"  
I stood up quickly and pulled the stiletto knife from my hair, just staring at it and the dried blood smearing the surface. It dropped to the floor as I remembered what I had done, I'd killed that man, killed him dead, dear god how was I going to cope with that. All my inner fears came back to me, the words that I hated.

"You're going to kill someone Cupcake"

"You'll get someone hurt"

"You're no good at your job"  
"You murdered someone"

I felt someone holding my shoulders and shaking me.

"Steph look at me, come on open those eyes and see me, hear me Steph"

I hadn't realized I'd closed my eyes so opened them to see Seth looking so serious in front of me.

"Did you hurt someone?"  
I nodded my head.  
"Did they die?"  
Again I responded by nodding my head.

"Did you kill him?"

I couldn't bare to respond to that.  
"He hurt Ranger and was going to kill him, Steph he would killed you as well. You did the right thing Steph, you saved Ranger and yourself"

I didn't know what to say to that, was he right or was I such a bad person that I could do it.

"Steph it always feels like it was the wrong thing to do, but it wasn't, I know it takes something away from you as well, but you have to believe that what you did was the only thing that you could have done and it was the right thing to do"  
"Babe?"  
I turned to see Ranger walk from the lift, hell he looked better than he had done but still looked a mess. There were cuts and bruises on his face but his chest had large welts amongst the deep red marks across his muscles from where someone had hit him. He was looking straight at me, his eyes so intense as I walked over to him. I stopped just in front of him not wanting to touch him in case I hurt him but I so desperately needed the contact, to know he was here and alive. His hand took mine and before I knew it he was wrapping me in his arms and pulling me to his chest, the smell of antiseptic over riding the normal fragrance of Ranger.

"You're tired, we need some sleep"

I was tired but felt so wired that I doubted sleep would come.

"Steph"

Turning I saw Kai hold a pill and cup of water wondering if that was for Ranger, I knew he hated to take any form of medication.

"Open up Steph"

My mouth just automatically opened and he dropped the pill on my tongue then pushed the cup to my mouth.

"I wasn't hurt"  
"I know, but you're tense, this will help you to sleep"  
"What, I don't need it"  
"Steph Ranger needs to rest properly and I know that after a night like tonight you'll be edgy and probably end up with nightmares"  
"Oh"  
I understood, because I knew my nightmares would infringe on Ranger's sleep, I knew I had to be careful if I were to sleep next to him.

"You have about 20 minutes before it kicks in"

Once upstairs Ranger lay on the bed, his head propped up quietly watching me. I removed the knife from my hair, one from my ankle and as I undressed one from my hip placing them in a pile on the table by the bed. With my hair loosened from the roll at the back of my head I quickly washed it and my body in the shower then pulling a towel around went back into the bedroom. Ranger pulled the covers down as I carefully got in beside him but I brought a pillow to my stomach to hug against me.

"Why the pillow Babe?"  
"I don't want to hurt you if I move about"

"Not going to happen, I need to feel you next to me"  
He removed the pillow allowing me snuggle up to his side, I felt so much better but wasn't sure if it was the tablet I'd taken or being next to Ranger, definitely being next to Ranger. An intense feeling of calm washed through me as I felt Ranger next to me, he was alive, safe and with me.

As my eyes started to open I was looking up at the windows in the ceiling knowing instantly where I was, but I didn't want to move from where I was, I still felt so tired. As my eyes began to slowly close I was aware of voices near me, but for once I really wasn't interested in what they were saying.

"Babe, I know you're tired but you need to eat and drink something"  
Urgh, I didn't think so, I was comfortable why would I need to eat or drink, I didn't feel hungry.

"Babe if you don't eat and drink then Brown is threatening to put an IV line in"  
An IV line, why the hell would he want to do that to me? My eyes shot open seeing several people round me, Bobby was sat on one side of the bed and as I turned my head Ranger was on the other side.

"Why?"  
"Babe, you're dehydrated and your energy's low, you haven't eaten anything since yesterday, please Babe"  
Bastard, he knew I couldn't refuse him when he said that word so I moved to sit up grateful for Bobby's help. Kai placed a tray across my knee as I lent back into the pillows and then I smelt it, the aroma that could only be from one place. I opened my eyes as someone held a beautiful chip to my mouth. I savored the taste of the salt and succulent feel of the grease as it disappeared into my mouth and automatically my hand reached out for more.

"Shit Ranger why food like that?"  
"She has a high metabolic rate and with the adrenaline rush from last night it's what she needs"  
I spied the can of soda drinking it almost in one go and then felt my senses come to me, feeling so much better, but still hungry. Now I felt compos mentis I took more note of who was around me. Bobby was smiling at me while Kai well he just looked confused. Ranger looked so much better and was now dressed in joggers and a T-shirt but as he moved I could see he was still in pain.

"There are doughnuts downstairs, so get dressed and we'll head down"  
Now that elicited a smile from me, doughnuts would be the perfect end to my breakfast. Once I got up from the bed Bobby and Kai disappeared but Ranger passed me some underwear and a pair of my own joggers and a T-shirt, frowning I looked back at him, how were these even here, who the hell had been handling my underwear? His response was a quirk of his lips so sighing I went to use the bathroom returning fully dressed. Ranger was waiting exactly where he had been before so this time I gladly walked up to him and very carefully wrapped my arms around his waist feeling his around me.

"How're you feeling?"  
"Better, but still sore. Babe?"

"Yeah"  
"I love you so much"

Confused as to what had brought that on I held tight relishing from how close he was and the smell of Bulgari and Ranger.

"I love you too, more than you know"  
As he moved away I felt my hand in his as he pulled me toward the door and down the stairs. As I followed him into the lounge area I froze, shit I could hear Tank's voice coming from the kitchen.

"I don't have time for this Quinn, surely you could have just fetched her back"  
"Why would I do that?"  
"Hell she's so dam unpredictable, why the hell she decided to up and come here I have no idea"  
"She not tell you?"  
"Yeah right, with everything that happened last night I wouldn't have agreed to anything she said. I mean that whole mess was because of her and Morelli"

I felt Ranger tense beside me and as the voices came nearer crept back so that I was behind Ranger, no way did I want Tank to have a go at me. Did he really think it was my fault for Morelli being at Rangeman, was I to blame for all the damage and chaos? I felt Ranger squeeze my hand but I suddenly felt really vulnerable. From where I was I saw Tank still as he turned around, I was sure he was looking at Ranger.

"What the hell happened to you?"  
I didn't even want to think how Ranger was looking at Tank.

"Why the hell didn't you call, man, we'd have come got you?"  
I knew the minute Tank saw me and how his expression changed, shit he was mad at Ranger as well as me.

"You called her and didn't think to let me know?"  
At that moment Lester came from the lift with Reco and sensing the tension in the air stood facing Tank.

"Tank take a seat because maybe you need to know the facts before you shoot your mouth off and regret it"

As Lester turned he winked at me, thank god Lester was here to mediate.

"How are you here Lester, I thought you'd gone with Reco to sort something out?"  
"Tank!"

Now I knew Ranger was annoyed and was thankful it wasn't me on the receiving end of his anger. We all moved across to the couches and I ended up sandwiched between Lester and Ranger, which suited me fine. The whole room began to fill up, I had no idea where so many men appeared from. There was Quinn, Kai and Seth, then Reco, Hector, Bobby and finally Ram each sitting on a couch or chair with the rest on the floor. Ranger was the first to speak.

"Reece and I were hijacked at that meeting and I ended up captured on some farm up north"

He turned and squeezing my hand expected me to talk.

"Babe you now"

Shit, just say it like it's a report, so looking down at the floor I gave my version of what had happened.  
"Well I did some more research once Ranger had gone and came across a woman who didn't seem to fit in, then my spidey senses were going nuts when I ran the search on Roberts, I just knew something was wrong. Then the alarms went off and we had that whole incident with Morelli. When he'd been caught I knew I had to find Ranger that he was in trouble so I followed the information I had and went and got him"

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?"  
"I tried to Tank but you were, err, busy and a bit pissed off"  
"Other men at Rangeman?"  
"There weren't many around and those left were scurrying around to sort things out"

"Tank, what Beautiful is saying is that you totally ignored her and even had a go at her for getting in the way"  
I watched Tank's face as Lester said that, at first I think he was annoyed, probably because Lester was right, then it changed to being thoughtful and finally he looked absolutely devastated.

"Oh hell, Steph I didn't mean to do that to you, there was so much going on that needed sorting and I suppose I was so mad with Morelli I just took it out on you"

"It's okay Tank"  
"No it isn't Babe, you came to that farm on your own with no back up"

"Ranger what exactly did she find?"  
"Me unconscious and shackled and then the man who had just beaten me up"  
I could see that Tank and Bobby were probably the only two who didn't know the whole story because everyone else was beaming at me.

"You mean she managed to undo the shackles and avoided the man?"  
"No she expertly unfastened the shackles, killed the man, helped me out of the building and then sorted the two dogs chasing us"  
"Shit"

"Estefania good with pick and she devious with attacking"  
"Tank she was armed better than you probably are now, except maybe for the get away car"  
"Hey Big Blue came through"

I heard a snigger from Lester and used my elbow on him and then turned to Ranger.

"They know everything?"  
"Yeah Babe, you were out this afternoon when I woke and I felt we needed to do some recon on the farm so called Lester. He'd heard Tank had had a go at you so he and the others headed up there"  
I turned to Lester expecting him to continue but was met with silence.

"Come on, someone say something, tell me what you found, who was there"

"Sorry Princess the bad guys were gone and we didn't find Reece"

Shit I'd liked him, why the hell did they have to take him as well; I mean he wasn't what you'd call an aggressive man. I felt so sad that he hadn't been with Ranger and we'd not been able to help him. I was brought back from those thoughts as Lester's arm came over my shoulder.

"Beautiful who the hell was the woman?"  
"Lina Perry, but she'd only recently come to the States"

"Lina Perry, shit Ranger could she be Lina Perez"  
"It makes sense, she was small, dark skinned and brown eyes and I'm sure she had an accent"  
"So we've got Lina Perez and Roberts, where does Jairo Moreno fit in?"  
"She said her son was going to be turning up"  
I thought that one through, if Jairo was her son she'd have been about sixteen when he was born, did girls that young get married in Colombia?

"Yes Babe"

"Out loud?"

"It would be seen as a great privilege for a families daughter to be married to one of the big cartel bosses, regardless of age. In fact I seem to remember one of Moreno's men saying she walked away leaving the children with their father"  
"So she upped and went to another boss?"

"Possibly Babe, maybe she thought Moreno didn't treat her well or wasn't rich and powerful enough"  
"You know Perez was starting to take control down there, maybe she thought she'd switch sides"  
"I think maybe you're right. The problem now is finding her and Roberts"

I could follow the logic of what they were saying but for the life of me couldn't work out where the kidnapping or gun dealing came in, then remembered something else I hadn't had chance to tell anyone.

"Oh by the way I found out it was Roberts who tipped Morelli off"

As I said that more questions came to my head, like why would he do that?


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

RPOV

As the normality of the conversation took over I felt myself beginning to calm down. I had never been so angry with Tank as I had been earlier, that he totally ignored Steph and berated her for what she was saying was bad enough but the comment he made that it was Steph's fault that Morelli had attacked Rangeman had me seeing red. All I can say is that for the first time I was actually glad that Santos had managed to distract everyone. I knew that Steph had heard what Tank had said, I could see the hurt and confusion in her eyes, but it was the look of self doubt that I saw that had me bleeding inside for her. Now though the mood had changed and suddenly we had a real sense as to what may be going on, maybe not all the intricacies, but I was sure we would be able to put it together. The thing to consider now was whether Steph and I went back to Rangeman. I feigned that I needed to rest up awhile and looked over at Steph thankful when she got the message that I wanted her with me. Once upstairs I pulled her down on the bed with her laid next to me, yeah my ribs were still too painful to have her laid over me.

"Babe you mustn't let what Tank said get to you, he was totally out of order for that comment"  
"Maybe he's right, I mean it was because of me Morelli attacked Rangeman.

"No it was because of Morelli, he's the one responsible, Santos said it was almost as if you knew where Morelli would be"  
"It was the alarms going off, just like my nightmare and I kinda freaked out with Lester and then I tried so hard to get Tank to listen, but I know there was just too much going on"  
"You don't need to explain anything to me, that you followed your instincts and found me makes me love you so much more"  
"There was no way I was going to not find you"

"I loved the knives in your hair, where did you pick that one up from?"  
"A film I think, all I could find were knives in the apartment and I knew I needed to be armed"  
"I was so proud of how you dealt with that man"  
"Ranger I killed him"  
I could hear the sorrow in her voice as she said that.

"Babe we never go into a situation with the intention of killing someone but it's them who shows us their true intentions and that's when we know what we have to do to save ourselves or the life of someone else"  
"I didn't know what else to do"  
"Babe you did good, you saved us both"

I waited and watched as she absorbed what I'd said hoping that as she processed it she would understand and believe what I was saying, after all those were the very reasons I told myself after I'd had to kill someone. What I wouldn't tell her was that for every death on your hands it took something from you that I had never been able to replace until I met her, she was able to fill my blackened soul with light.

"Babe, any thoughts on what you want to do now?"  
"Hell, where is there that Roberts doesn't know about?"  
She had a point he knew about Rangeman, the beach house and Steph's apartment but I wasn't too sure about here at Quinn's.

"In some ways we need to let them see us, try and bait them"  
"I can see your logic Babe, but we would have to be very careful and well prepared"  
"We need somewhere that we can see them coming from, I mean Morelli just walked up to the gates at Rangeman and lobbed an explosive device inside without anyone being aware"  
"Okay so maybe the beach house might be best"  
I saw her frown at that wondering why she maybe didn't like the idea of that.

"But it's your house, it's somewhere special"  
"Not any more, people already know of it's existence even though we've very careful. I think we should find another house anyway, just for you and me"  
"I like the idea of that"

"Something's still eating at you, what is it?"

"There are still so many questions whizzing round my head"  
"Like what?"

"Why did Roberts set up Morelli to be at my apartment when I was there?"

"What else?"  
"Why did Jairo ask his father to take me to Colombia?"

"Go on"

"Who is actually in charge?"

"I don't know the answers yet but we'll find out"

"I suppose we need to go back down don't we?"  
"I have one last thing to do"

I pulled her body up the bed so her face was over mine and then delved deeply in her mouth, I had missed this so much, her taste and smell and the exquisite sensations as our tongues dueled, as she moved her head to change the angle I could feel other parts of me responding as her soft moans resonated into me. It was her that pulled away, her forehead on mine.

"I'm sorry, I got a bit carried away and I don't want you hurting"  
"Babe do you realize that you've single handedly saved me twice now and each time all I could think about was you, how I wanted you and missed you, thinking I would never see you again"  
"You've saved me often enough"  
"I couldn't live with the idea of anything happening to you even before I realized how much you actually meant to me"

Hell she could get me to say my inner most feelings without even trying, she had no idea just how much power she really had over me.

"Now we have to move before Bobby or Kai come up and check on me"

When we made our way down into the lounge area I went to talk with Quinn and watched as Tank took Steph to one side of the room, even as I was talking with Quinn I made sure she was in my line of sight and that he wasn't upsetting her. I relaxed when she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Tank on the cheek, she was too dam forgiving because I'm sure Tank had been apologizing to her, I just hoped he realized how hard his words had hit her.

"Ranger are you even listening to me? Oh now I see why you were so distracted. What's with Tank anyway he doesn't normally loose his cool?"  
"Not sure, but he and I are going to have a conversation"  
"I agree with you about the beach house, if Nolan is in with them then they'll know about here and whilst it's secure it isn't easy to set up a sting"  
"Thanks Quinn for all the help"  
"Hey we aint finished yet, I'm in and I'm sure Kai and Seth will be"  
I nodded my head at him and then walked toward Tank, Steph was with Reco but followed me with her eyes probably totally unsure of what I was going to say and do. As I approached he saw me and seeing as he knew me so well followed me down the stairs and into the basement gym.

"Ranger I apologized to her already"  
"I saw, now explain to me because I'm having a real hard time understanding"  
"I don't know what happened, I lost it, what with Morelli and that dam explosion, men getting hurt, then everything being transferred to the satellite office, I couldn't, no I didn't have time to listen to her. Ranger I know I hurt her and could kick myself for that, hell I didn't mean it to sound like she was to blame, shit the look in her eyes man, I'm so sorry for being responsible for that"

"If I wasn't injured I'd beat the crap out of you"

"Yeah well you'd have to get in line"  
"Tank I'm sorry if I left you running Rangeman"  
"Shit no, that's not it. It's, I feel out in the cold with what's going on, hell I had no idea you were here until I saw you"

"So who could run Rangeman, we could postpone any new clients and meetings and just manage the security"  
"You serious?"  
"Why not, the sooner we wrap this up the sooner we get back to normal"

"You know I hired her?"

"What you saying?"

He knew I was verging on being annoyed with him again but laughed anyway.

"Hell nothing will ever be normal with her around"


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

We spent the next day at the warehouse with Quinn going through all the plans we'd put in place. In the end I'd asked Henri who managed the Boston office to take over running Trenton while the core team were away, he'd assumed it was a government mission and was all too pleased to help out. We were going to be using the original team plus Tank, Bobby was to stay at Trenton but be on call but he made sure Kai had everything he needed for field injuries. To anyone watching the beach house it would look as though there was Steph and I there with one man as back up. I was feeling much better in that the pain had backed off but with broken ribs I was no where near as fit as I wanted to be. Steph was coping well except for the occasional dream but as each one occurred she was becoming more responsive to me calming her. I couldn't imagine never having her next to me when I woke or when I went to sleep and it was as I watched her sleep that I just prayed the next few days would go to plan. I watched as her breathing changed, as she started to wake up, her curls in an array around her head as I waited for her eyes to open.

"Morning Babe"  
"Yeah"  
I saw her snuggle back under the covers and smiled, then started to kiss her neck, that soon had her awake.

"Not fair"  
"We have to move Babe, we're supposed to be at the beach house by 11"  
"Sorry, I'm moving"

I watched as she walked across to the bathroom her beautiful naked body mesmerizing me, yeah she was more confident with herself and to prove her point added some extra swing to her walk.

"See something you like?"  
She threw back at me obviously aware of me looking at her. I shook my head and started to dress, jeans and a T-shirt with a sweater over and then checked my bag on the floor. Once my weapons were in place Steph had returned and was dressed in similar clothes. Ram had provided some holsters for her and she now was as well armed as me, a gun in an ankle holster and one in a holster under her jacket, I was almost certain she'd slipped a knife into her boot and one on her hip. Once down in the kitchen we found Quinn eating breakfast and joined him at the table.

"You all sorted Quinn?"  
"Yeah, the cameras went up fine and we have sensors out back, we were lucky the house next door was up for rent so I've put Kai and Reco there"  
"So no sign yet?"  
"Not yet, they'll catch on"

"Santos and Seth are just off shore on a boat and Hector is around"  
"Tank with you?"

"Yeah, he has the look of a body guard, he's driving from Rangeman and should arrive at the house just before us"

"You okay Steph?"  
"Yes, I want some answers"  
"Okay I'm heading out, keep the comms open and be careful"

Steph was quiet as she finished her breakfast and washed her bowl but I knew she was possibly nervous so didn't push a conversation on her. As we took our bags and came out into the garage she stopped and looked around.

"Where's Big Blue?"  
"Santos took it yesterday and left us a car"  
"I suppose that's for the best, did he take it back to my parents?"  
"No, it's at Rangeman for now, did you speak with your father?"  
"Yeah, I told him I was heading for the beach for a few days so he won't worry"  
"Your Mum?"  
"He didn't say so I didn't ask"

All the way to the beach house I held her hand in mine, sometimes looking at her to judge her mood but mostly making sure we weren't being followed, after the plans we'd put in place I didn't want to be ambushed before we got there especially as the team were now in place. As we turned off the main road and I fobbed open the gates I stopped the car in front of the house, surprised when I saw Steph peering through the window.

"Babe?"  
"I never actually got to see the house from the outside before, I was just curious"  
It wasn't a big house, modest really compared to any of the neighboring houses but possibly had more privacy from the road. The door was off center leading into a small entrance way and from there into the large living area. I opened the door and went round to help her out and then both of us removed our bags from the trunk before entering through the door. Normally I would park the car in the garage but we'd decided that we needed to be visible arriving here just in case the place was being watched.

"Reco has Tank arrived?"  
"Yeah, saw his car drive into the garage"

"Ranger what did they say?"  
We'd decided that while Steph would wear a mic that having an ear bud with everyone talking would just confuse her.

"Tank's here already"  
I used a fob to open the door, letting Steph walk ahead of me, and then followed her as she walked into the lounge area and put her bag at the foot of the stairs. I did the same and then caught her arm and pulled her into my arms.

"It could be a long wait Babe"  
"I know, I feel real edgy though"

"We'll just have to find something to do to relax then"  
I brought my mouth down to her neck kissing then licking at the spot between her neck and shoulder, I knew she loved the feel of that. As my hands went to hold her head, my fingers through her hair a panel on the wall started to beep. I looked at the panel and couldn't believe what I saw.

"Red alert"

"Can anyone respond?"

I heard nothing but I didn't expect to not with the systems I had in place, and dammit those systems had just turned against me.

"Ranger what just happened?"  
"The lock down feature just kicked in"

Taking her hand I led her through to the kitchen with the intention of her going into the panic room that led from garage but two steps into the kitchen and I felt the cold of metal against my head and heard Steph scream from behind me. How the hell had someone got into the house without being seen?

"Ranger, nice to see you"  
I turned slightly and saw Roberts stood with a knife to Steph's throat and an arm around her waist. The man with the gun to my head had the look of Nolan.

"Just to keep you on your toes I'm taking this little lady upstairs, Nolan will make sure you're comfortable down here"  
"Roberts"  
"Now, now Ranger. Nolan put the tape on him while I give him a little incentive to cooperate"

I watched as he turned the knife in his hand, as a small drop of blood ran from the point and down Steph's neck. As Nolan turned me and wrapped tape around my wrists all I could do was to watch Steph as she stood there. She was terrified but as I watched her eyes I realized she was also extremely pissed off. Nolan pushed me ahead of him and brought out a chair from the dining table knocking me back so that I sat down, then he crudely taped my ankles to the chair legs and my arms to the back, all the time Roberts just stood there with Steph. As Nolan finished Roberts grabbed hold of Steph's arm and pulled her up the stairs after him. The sound of the bedroom door slamming resonated throughout the house. Nolan was an idiot, he may have removed the gun from my back but I still had the gun at my ankle.

"What we waiting for Nolan?"  
"The woman and her son"  
"You mixed up in what they're doing?"  
"Nah, I just made sure the guns got to the right place"  
"So why apply for a job at Rangeman?"  
"To get close to you"  
I didn't want to ask why he'd also contacted Quinn because I wasn't sure if he knew that Quinn and I were working together. The thing that was bothering me the most though was wondering where the hell Tank was.

"So you work for Jairo now?"  
"Nah, he aint got what it takes, never thought I'd have a woman as a boss, but hell she's smart"  
"So what are we waiting for"  
"She's on her way"

It was then that I heard the sound of banging from above me, and then the sound of Steph's scream.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

SPOV

As I was dragged upstairs I was somewhere between scared shitless and angry. Scared for Ranger, not me, until I was pushed into the master bedroom. Roberts used my momentum and flung me forward so that I landed on the bed. I quickly turned and made sure I was sat at the edge, my feet planted firmly on the floor. Then I took another look at Roberts, gone was the confident swagger and expression and in its place was a man who looked worried.

"Why are you doing this?"  
"To enable Lina to find some peace"  
"Because of her husband?"  
"Yes, that man downstairs, Ranger, he had him arrested and imprisoned where he was murdered by the soldiers who guarded him"

"Why did she leave her first husband?"  
"He abused her, beat her so she had to leave"  
"Is that what she told you?"  
"Yes"  
"You know she's very good at manipulating men"  
"Don't talk about her that way"  
"Okay, so let's talk about Morelli"  
"He screwed up"  
"He sure did"  
"You know he always talked about you, said he loved you"  
"So you helped him?"  
"My first wife walked out on me, said she couldn't cope with my moods, so I thought I should help him with you"

"Was it your men who found this house?"  
"That was simple, Morelli told me about the people who worked at Rangeman so I just had some of the men follow them, but then we had to get the warrant, the judge was being stroppy, said we had no evidence so in the end we just came out here. Morelli was furious when there was no one here"  
"The tip for him to go to my apartment?"  
"Lina saw her daughter and spoke with her, so we knew you were there and I arranged for a couple of guys I know to turn up, they only fired blanks. Morelli screwed up, why would he shoot you?"  
"He hated that I didn't want him, that he couldn't control me"

"Yeah well, Lina went nuts, said she needed you to get to Ranger. W didn't know Jairo had come up with another plan, hell the whole plan went FUBAR which seems to happen where Jairo is concerned"

"You know she's lying about her first husband don't you?"  
"Why would she lie?"  
"He wasn't powerful or rich enough for her"

"No you're wrong"  
"I bet she came onto you, fancy FBI agent who could get her what she wanted"  
"No, it wasn't like that"  
"Look I know you're good in your heart, think it through"

Sheesh I was running out of things to say to this man, if he didn't buckle soon I'd have to see if I could use some of the tricks Hector had taught me, I mean he stupidly thought I wouldn't be armed, could I use a gun on him? No that would put Ranger in danger if Nolan thought that Roberts had been shot, I mean I didn't recognize that he was armed, except of course for that dammed knife. Come on, I needed to keep him talking, get him thinking of what he'd involved himself in.

"So the kidnapping, did you help with that?"  
"No, I didn't agree with it when I found out, but Lina said it was a quick way to make money"  
"Money to buy the guns she needed?"  
"What guns?"  
"The guns being sold to terrorists"  
"No, that can't be right"  
"Well your friend downstairs was the one to deliver them, at least he was until the company he worked for got suspicious"

"Lina said she needed the money to buy back her husbands land and house"

"Really? Hell of a lot of money for real estate"

"How do you think you know so much?"

"I bet she used her first husband's import and export company to ship them out, not sure where she got them from though. You help with that?"  
"No, I haven't done anything illegal"  
"Oh, so breaking into here and threatening me?"  
"For Lina"

Okay, this wasn't going to work, he was smitten with her and the only way he would doubt her was if he heard it from her and I wasn't about to waste time knowing she was probably on her way here. Roberts was getting restless, pacing the floor, so I surprised him by standing up.

"I need to use the bathroom"  
He nodded his head so I went into the bathroom and flushed the toilet then turned on the tap, while the water ran I took out my knife from my boot and slid it in the belt at my back. I splashed water on my face, turned the tap off and quietly opened the door. Roberts had his back to me, but I couldn't even think of just stabbing him, his knife was on the table out of his reach so I picked up what looked like a heavy vase and ran at him. Yeah a stupid move because he heard me so throwing the vase at him I turned to run for the door. I didn't get far before his arms came around my hips and he tackled me, but instead of landing on the floor I ended up on the bed with him on top of me. Shit no way was he getting the better of me, besides his weight on my stomach was hurting. I bucked, I lashed out and with one foot on the bed and my knee bent rolled him off me. It didn't go quite as I planned because he continued the roll so we were back to where we had begun. I was so angry now and pushed him as hard as I could, resulting in us both falling off the bed. I screamed as we landed but he was underneath me and when he did nothing to move I slowly sat up realizing that he was out cold. There was blood coming from his head and it was then that I noticed blood on the corner of the bedside unit. His head must have hit it on the way down. Getting to my feet I ran to the closet, I needed something to tie him up with; ties and belts would suffice then grabbed a sock from a shelf. When I was sure that Roberts was securely hog tied with a sock stuffed into his mouth I made for the door taking my knife from my hip, though to be honest I didn't think I could stab anyone with it, that experience in the barn was still painful to remember especially seeing his eyes as he realized what I had done. I'd pushed my panic button when I was downstairs so where the hell was the cavalry, surely they should be storming the place by now. As I crept towards the stairs it seemed awfully quiet, peeking round the edge I could see Ranger tied to a chair with his back to me but Nolan was out of sight. Shit where the hell was he, could I get away with going down the stairs without being seen? Then I heard it, a beeping from that panel and the locks being opened on the front door. If Nolan was there then I had a chance to help Ranger so keeping to the wall I slowly moved down and then was across behind Ranger, the knife slicing through the tape that held him to the chair. He knew I was there but hadn't moved.

"Babe get to the garage and lock yourself in there"  
"Let me cut your hands free first"

That done I slipped the hilt of the knife into his hands and made it across to the kitchen before I heard voices.

"Is he here Nolan?"  
"Tied up and waiting for you"

I stayed where I was waiting to see what would happen crouching down for a better view, dam if I moved now someone might see me.

"Where's the woman?"  
"Upstairs with Roberts"  
"Good, she can get to watch and suffer like I did"  
"Roberts won't like that Mama"  
"You think I care, he's served my purposes well"

Shit that meant Jairo was here as well, how the hell were we going to get out of this, so much for a rescue because it didn't look as though anyone was coming, Tank, he was supposed to be here, where the hell was he?

"Go get the woman Nolan"  
I took that movement as my queue to move so hoping I hadn't been seen I quietly pushed open the door to the garage but didn't turn on the lights. What I heard though had me on high alert, a scuffling noise was coming from the black SUV parked close to the doors. The car was open but a look inside showed it was empty so I debated whether or not to open the trunk and decided why not, things couldn't get any worse. I flipped the switch in the door panel and heard the trunk click open then with my gun in my hand slowly lifted the door open. Staring back at me were eyes that held so much anger I almost slammed the lid down, then thought better of it, wow who would have thought little old me could rescue Tank from inside a locked trunk of a car. I'm sure his eyes got bigger when I took the knife from my boot and slowly started to cut through the tape wrapped around his head and mouth, hell they'd used so much tape he almost resembled a mummy, a black mummy, somehow that seemed so appropriate. As I pulled the tape away and took a ball of material from his mouth I saw him take in a deep breath.

"You okay Little Girl?"  
"Yeah but we need to move fast, they'll realize I'm missing soon"  
The rest of the tape cut easily and as Tank's hands freed he took the knife from my hands quickly freeing his legs.  
"Where's Ranger?"  
"Lounge, but Lina and Jairo are with him. Nolan went up stairs to fetch me"

"Hand me the gun"

I did as he asked meaning I had no more weapons on me but knew they were in more competent hands with Tank.  
"Okay stay here"  
Yeah like that was going to happen. I followed in Tank's shadow as he looked through the crack through the doorway and we both heard an argument ensuing.

"Lina I did this for you, are you saying you just used me?"  
I could just see Roberts at the foot of the stairs and boy did he look pissed.

"It's not what you think James"

"No, I served a purpose did I?"  
"No not at all"  
I was sure I heard a hint of concern in her voice and edging a little further around I could now see that Roberts was aiming a gun at her. He had blood dripping down his face where he'd knocked himself out, I couldn't believe he'd managed to get free of me tying him up and then felt like hitting myself on my head. Shit I forgot about his knife, the one sat on the table in the bedroom and I just assumed he didn't have a gun.

"You said this was about revenge for him getting your husband killed"  
"No, he was useless just like Jacques was, he never gave me what I needed. Him being dead was the icing on the cake until his sons decided to cut me out from all the money"

"And the guns Lina?"  
"I saw an opportunity and took it. Are you saying you would have stopped me?"

Wow if I thought Morelli and I could argue we had nothing on these two, they were both so intent on watching each other no one had seen that Ranger was almost free of the tape. I saw him nod toward Tank and as they both moved all I heard were the explosions from guns. Instinctively I stood to turn for me to get away from the door but the next thing I knew I was falling forward, suddenly feeling dizzy with bright spots in front of my eyes.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

RPOV

As I nodded to Tank my hand went to the gun at my ankle and I rolled to the floor coming up ready to shoot. Tank had made a similar move as he positioned himself low against the wall but as we took aim shots were being fired. I saw Roberts fall down the last step but not before he shot at Lina. I aimed and fired at Nolan who was stood at the top of the stairs while Tank took aim at Jairo but not before Jairo fired two consecutive shots toward him. I saw Jairo go down knowing Tank's aim would have been a kill shot but then saw the blood seeping from Tank's shoulder, where the other shot had gone I had no idea but I didn't think Jairo was lucky enough to hit him twice. I knew Nolan and Jairo were dead but moved over to Roberts, he was breathing quickly from a chest wound so I immediately turned him onto his side and applied pressure to the wound. Lina wasn't as badly injured but Tank still pulled her hands behind her and cuffed her.

"Ranger go open the house up, I'll stay with him"  
I moved toward the panel and having disengaged the lock down opened the front door to find Reco and Kai were there setting explosives against the door and stood back prepared to fire the guns in their hands. At the same time the doors leading out to the back shattered, no doubt Santos and Seth had arrived.

"Is everyone okay Ranger?"  
"Tank took one to the shoulder, two dead and two injured but I don't think Roberts will make it"  
I could now hear voices in my ear bud as Santos declared the area contained but then my heart stopped when Reco suddenly asked.

"Where's the Princess?"  
Shit, she had been by the door to the garage when all hell had broken out so I pushed past Kai to go find her. The garage was in darkness and quiet, maybe she was still hiding, so switching on the lights I took a step forward then froze. Laid on the concrete floor was Steph with a pool of blood by her head.

"Kai, garage now"  
I knelt down beside her and gently lifted her to rest against me so relieved when I saw her chest moving up and down.

"What the hell happened?"  
"I don't know, maybe she tripped and fell"  
I watched as Kai moved her hair away from where her head was bleeding and as he began cleaning the wound noticed an inch long burn across her scalp.

"I'd say a bullet grazed her, shit Ranger she was lucky, another inch and it would have been fatal"  
"I know Jairo got two shots off at Tank"  
"Okay just hold her still while I clean this up. It's a good job she's unconscious because this will hurt like a bitch"

I had tight hold of her hand in one of mine as my other hand gently stroked her cheek, I felt her flinch as Kai used the antiseptic to clean the wound revealing a deep graze to her head and watched as pain etched across her face.

"Babe, hold still, let Kai clean the graze"  
I watched as her eyes squeezed together and then suddenly opened blinking rapidly, as she tried to move I held her head firmly to my knee.

"What happened?"  
"It's all over Babe, you must have got caught by a bullet from Jairo when he shot at Tank"  
I watched as she tried to turn head her knowing she was trying to see more of me.

"I'm fine but Tank got hit in the shoulder"  
As I said that Tank walked in holding a towel underneath his jacket against his shoulder.

He used his head to indicate I should follow but until I knew Steph was okay I wasn't leaving her.

"Just say what you need to Tank"  
"Robert's is dead, but I need to know what you want doing with the woman"  
The mood I felt in I would gladly have shot her in the head and buried her where no one would find her. I felt Steph raise her head and knew she'd been listening.

"Go with Tank, I'll be fine with Kai"

Kai nodded his head and gently lifted Steph taking her head from me while Reco who I hadn't even seen come in shifted to where I had been knelt. I reluctantly stood up and followed Tank into the room taking in the dead bodies and then looked down at where Lina was propped against a chair. She had blood on her hip where a bullet had hit her, a shame it hadn't been higher because I really didn't know what to do with her. Santos stood next to me as we both looked down at her.

"You know maybe Moreno would know what to do with her"  
It was certainly an idea, one to explore further once we ascertained how he would react, after all it was her who had betrayed him and steered his son to the crimes he was involved with.

"Okay, patch her up and then move her to one of the cells at Rangeman while I explore that"

I could feel the hatred radiating from her as she watched me, but I didn't give a fuck, the sooner she was gone the better. We needed to move from here before any police turned up although I was sure no neighbors would be close enough to have any concerns.

"Santos, you and Seth take her"

"Hector can we set up that farm with these bodies so it looks like they shot each other?"

He nodded his head with a smile on his face; yeah he would arrange for that to happen, have bullets and guns arranged with the bodies and blood pools to say that it happened there. The time of death was irrelevant because I think it would be awhile before they were discovered. I returned to the garage to find Steph sat up talking with Tank, no doubt he was filling her in on what went down in the lounge, but now we needed to move out from here and Tank needed some medical attention.

"Kai take Tank to the hospital in Trenton, just say we were after an FTA who shot him, I'll find a suitable candidate. Reco would you help Hector with the bodies, he knows what to do, just make sure no one sees you"

"I'll drive you two back to Rangeman Ranger and then go help them out"

I picked Steph up and with Quinn we walked through the garage to the outside, I didn't want her to see the carnage in the lounge. As we pulled out I saw Hector move the car which I presumed belonged to Lina or Jairo into the garage, he'd use that to transport the bodies and then ditch the car there, he would be knowledgeable enough not to leave any of his fingerprints in it and with thick plastic their blood wouldn't be found inside. I had Steph in my arms as Quinn drove thinking she might fall asleep surprised when she started to talk.

"I feel sorry for Roberts, he was besotted with Lina, but he didn't know what she was doing, well not all of it"  
"She was very manipulative Babe and probably he believed her lies"  
"Where would she have gotten the guns from?"  
"Probably Columbia"  
"Then used Moreno's business on the Keys to ship them out"  
"Probably"  
"What happens now?"

"I need to talk with Moreno and gauge how he feels"

"The others?"  
"I've arranged for their bodies to be taken to Roberts farm"  
"So it will look like they shot each other?"  
"That's what I'm hoping"  
"Where are we going?"  
"Home"  
As she nodded she closed her eyes, Brown would need to check her over when we got back as I was wanted him to check out the wound on her head. I rested my head back onto the headrest feeling the tension from my body slowly seep away.

I was surprised that I dozed in the car but was instantly awake when the car came to a stop next to the lift, Bobby was stood there waiting and as I carried Steph's sleeping body from the car he followed me up to the infirmary and watched as I laid her on the bed. He hadn't said a word so he must have had an update from someone as to what had gone down.

"You'll need to wake her Ranger, she may have a concussion so I need to check her reflexes"  
I gently kissed Steph on the cheek and then started to talk to her.

"Babe you need to wake up Querida. Steph come on open your eyes for me"

I knew she was slowly waking up from how her eyes were moving and her eyelids fluttering and then those beautiful blue eyes were looking at me.

"Bobby needs to check you out"  
I saw her look to the side and lock onto Brown, I'm sure she tried to roll her eyes but stopped as probably the pain from her head kicked in. Brown did the usual tests which Steph responded to, some responses coming before he even asked the question, hell she'd been knocked out enough times to know the procedure off by heart now.

"Bomber everything seems fine to me, you'll have a headache for awhile so take some pain meds when it gets too much. The graze needs to heal so keep it dry for a couple of days. You're not showing any signs of concussion but if the headache gets worse let me know straight away"

"I can go then?"  
"Yes, just take it easy for a few days"  
I smiled as she looked at me and helped her down from the bed; we could catch some sleep and maybe something to eat before the men returned. I led her to the lift and up to my apartment keeping my arm constantly around her waist and once in the bedroom started to pull her top from her.

"Bathroom first"  
I watched as she went into the bathroom and as she returned, shit something was wrong.

"Babe?"  
"It's okay, I suppose if I comb my hair over my head the graze will be covered up"  
"It looks worse than it is, a couple of days and it'll be healed"  
"Yeah I know, but I can't get my hair wet. Ranger are you hurting?"  
I was, all of the action I'd taken had taken its toll on my ribs. I didn't reply to her but somehow as we'd grown closer she didn't need an answer, instead she gently pulled my sweater and T-shirt over my head and unfastened my jeans. Then as she did the same we both slipped into bed with her as close to me as she could get without putting any pressure on my chest.

I woke three hours later to find that neither one of us had moved. The few hours of sleep I'd had was enough for me so I slipped from the bed leaving Steph still asleep and pulled on some joggers, then went into the office to make the phone call to Moreno. Shit I hoped he would have an answer that I could live with.

"Moreno residence"

"I need to speak with Signor Moreno"  
I heard the phone being redirected to another set and waited patiently for Moreno to answer.

"Ranger, what news?"  
"I'm sorry Jacques, but Jairo was shot and killed"  
There was no point in dancing around the news, he needed to know"  
"How?"  
"He was working with your first wife Lina, she was in charge of the kidnappings and also running guns"  
"Lina?"  
"Yes"

"I knew she left the country after that bastardo Perez died in prison, but I never thought that she was behind everything that happened"  
"Jacques she's injured but we have her here in a cell"

"That puta, she nearly killed me, she thought she could control my business and when it became evident Perez was getting more power she left and went to him. No wonder Jairo hated me so much. She probably told him a load of lies to turn him against me, but I had no idea she'd reconnected with him"

"She was after me Jacques to avenge the land and money she lost"

"Ranger I spoke with my daughter, she didn't know"  
"Didn't know what?"  
"Her mother spoke with her and she told her about Jairo trying to help some girl, it was probably her who told Lina where Estefania was"  
"Jacques, I don't blame her, she was used by her mother"  
"Lina used Estefania and my daughter and that is unforgivable"  
"What do you want to happen to her?"  
"Who knows she's with you?"  
"No one"

"Then I shall send Juan and Edwardo to bring her home"  
"What will you do with her Jacques?"  
"I may not operate as a drug boss anymore but I still uphold the laws for anyone who betrays and hurts mine"  
"Be careful because I think she has an ally in your camp"  
"Not any more, Paola is no longer here"  
"Let me know when to expect them"  
"I will and for you and Estefania I will let you know when the deed is done"

I breathed a sigh of relief as I put the phone down noting that Hector had messaged to say they were on their way back. A second message came in from Kai to let me know Tank was back in the building so standing I returned to the bedroom to wake Steph up, she needed to eat and drink before she ended up ill again.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

SPOV

I felt light feather light kisses across my face and knew I had a smile on my face, I loved being woken up like this. I opened my eyes to Ranger's eyes looking down at me, a smile across his face as well, wow maybe everything was working out and we could eventually end this roller coast ride that had been happening over the last few weeks.

"Ella brought some dinner in, your favorite"  
I took the clothes in his hand and quickly dressed in the joggers and T-shirt then followed him through to the kitchen, smelling garlic and cheeses, oh boy. If I moaned my way through the lasagne I didn't care, it tasted amazing far more appetizing than Ranger's vegetable one, I mean how could it be called lasagne when it was made with vegetables. I realized that I'd been asleep for four hours and a lot could have happened in that time.

"Tank, is he all right?"  
"Yes, we're meeting soon so we can catch up with what everyone has been doing"

"Did my phone come back with us?"  
"In the office charging"  
I wasn't sure that I was pleased that there were messages for me, then I felt such a relief come through me as I realized there wouldn't be any from Morelli or my mother so put it in my pocket on silent to keep with me. Once we'd cleared away the dishes I felt Ranger's arm on my shoulder as we made our way to the lift and down to five. I loved that he was being so open about what we had between us and didn't seem to mind that anyone on monitor duty or in the corridors would see it. Once in the conference room I immediately sensed a relaxed atmosphere, the men were smiling as they talked with each other that made me relax as well. Ranger immediately called the meeting to order by asking for reports from people starting with Tank first.

"Hell I was early setting off, decided to be sure to do a walk through and around the beach house, but then got caught up with an accident just before I got there. Road was blocked with two cars and as I went to look over what I thought was an injured driver, some bastard stunned me. It wasn't until Little Girl opened the trunk that I even knew where I was. They must have driven my car into the garage, using my fob to open the door, then left me tied up"  
"Quinn"  
"I was about five minutes behind you Ranger, no tails and everything looked fine as you went into the house"  
"Reco"  
"We lost comms about ten minutes after you went in, we had no idea that you had a lockdown system in the house, so I spoke with Santos who confirmed"  
"Santos"  
"I knew the lockdown would shut off all communications going into and out of the house but I knew you wouldn't have done that so we headed back to the house, by the time we got back that second car was there, but there was a burst of signal that came in from Steph's panic button so then we tried to get in"

"Hector"

"That car moved fast, someone knew how to work the panel because as soon as they were in it went onto lockdown again"

"The farm Hector?"  
"As you asked for, all set up, but we have good news"

I looked at Hector hoping he wasn't going to make me ask, then again by the look on his face and others around him I knew I just had to.

"Hector come on, don't make me beg, what on earth could there be at the farm that would be good?"  
"We found Reece"  
Oh shit, why the hell was that good news?

"Princess, he's alive, just. Hector decided to let the horses out seeing as they had no food and water and he was in one of the stables. We took him to the nearest hospital who said he should be fine, a few cuts and bruises and dehydration"  
"Do we have a man with him?"  
"Si, Hal"

Now that was good news; because I'd honestly thought he was lying dead somewhere never to be seen again.

"Santos Lina?"  
"She's in the cells. Brown patched her up so we've left her with a dim light on and some water and food"

"Moreno is sending Juan and Edwardo to pick her up"

Now that did surprise me but it didn't upset me as much as I thought it would. I knew Ranger and probably most of the men would have liked for her to disappear but as much as that might have been a way to be rid of her I really wasn't happy for any of them to be carrying that around with them. Jacques being responsible for what happened to her took away that concern, he was an honorable man, well maybe he was, but as long as she never turned up anywhere near Ranger or me I could live with Jacques deciding her fate.  
"Okay anything I've missed?"  
"Morelli, he's back out but this time on bail, not Vinnie, I think Connie threatened to castrate him if he did. It's some bails bond agency up in Newark, his mother used his house as bail"

"What was he charged with?"  
"Damage to property and ignoring the restraining order"

Shit, why was it never easy to deal with Morelli, why couldn't he be charged and sent far, far away from here, would I ever be rid of him from my life?

"Okay all reports on the board because I'll need to send a report to Reece when he's back working"

As people began to leave I took out my phone to look at, it had vibrated during the meeting but I wasn't going to answer it hoping if it was important then they'd leave a message. I was surprised that it had been my Dad who'd called and instead of leaving voicemail he'd sent a simple message instead "Call me" I wasn't sure what that could be about but decided I'd better try talking with him.

"Hi Dad"  
"Pumpkin, sorry to leave a cryptic clue but I needed to speak with you"  
"What's wrong"  
"Nothing, at least I don't think so"  
"Okay, so what was so important?"  
"Your mother has asked me to arrange for the two of you to meet in the morning"  
"She asked you?"  
"Yeah, she said you'd probably listen to me and she didn't want to talk to you on the phone, she wants to do that in person"

Did I want to talk with her? Probably not but I couldn't really refuse when it was Dad organizing it.  
"Okay then, what time"  
"10.30 in the morning at Jayneys café out at Hamilton Township. It's neutral territory Pumpkin"  
"Do you know what she'll say?"  
"No idea, she's hardly spoken to me, she said she needed to talk to you"  
"Okay I'll be there"

As the call finished I should have asked if he would be there as well, hell I didn't know what to think of her wanting to meet with me, I mean she could be wanting to have a real go at me seeing as no one we knew would be there to witness it. I wasn't sure how I would cope with her telling me what to do or despising me for the work I did and some of the troubles I came up against. Would it mean that tomorrow might be the last time she ever spoke to me? Shit how did she manage to get me feeling this way about myself?

"Babe?"  
"Sorry I was lost in thought"  
"What's wrong, you look miserable?"  
"Mum wants to meet me in the morning"  
"What time and where?"

"A place called Jayneys café in Hamilton Township at 10.30"  
"Why there?"  
"Dad said it was a neutral place, no one there who knew us"

"Babe I'll be there with you okay?"  
"No, much as I would love for that to happen I need to meet her on my own"  
"Then I'll be right outside"  
I looked up into his eyes feeling so thankful for him, thankful for his love and support, he was always there to boost me when I needed it.

"Babe can we write the report of what happened today at the house, there are probably things you learnt from Roberts that are important"

I nodded my head as we walked into his office, I suppose if I was busy doing that then at least I wouldn't have time to worry about tomorrow.

As I walked past a window on my way to meet my mother I looked at my reflection and actually felt really pleased with how I looked. I'd gone for a dress that was a smoky blue, long sleeves, so the scars on my arms were covered up, to my knees so it wasn't revealing and into a roll neck, to cover the marks Ranger had left there last night. My hair was falling in waves and having listened to Ranger I had on minimal makeup. Not that my cheeks needed anything, hell I'd almost needed something to tamp down the glow on my face. Yeah last night had been pretty terrific, Ranger had decided that I needed distracting so that I wouldn't be worrying about today and boy had he worked his magic. Even when at one stage I worried about his ribs his answer was that his whole purpose for the evening was for my pleasure though I did have some ideas that he certainly enjoyed that lessened the work he needed to do. So now as I walked toward the café I was determined there was no way my mother could dampen my spirits. Ranger was close by, unfortunately even he couldn't park the car outside but he'd said he would be there as soon as possible if I needed him and that I had my panic button and if need be he would sweep in and rescue me. I heard a bell over the door as I walked in; it was a quaint place with table cloths on each table and a small vase with a single flower. As I entered I could see my mother sat at a table over by the wall. She was busy looking through the menu and only looked up as I pulled a seat out.

"Stephanie I didn't realize you were here"  
"Hi Mum"  
"You look really pretty in that dress, are you keeping well?"  
"Yeah, I'm good Mum"  
"I'm glad to hear that. I think I'll have a latte and carrot cake, what would you like?"  
"The same would be good"  
I honestly thought I was in the twilight zone, she hadn't grimaced or said anything that hinted she was upset with me.

We ate our cake in a silence that was making me feel extremely nervous, I was waiting for her to have a go at me so when we were sipping our coffee and she started to speak I braced myself for the inevitable.

"Stephanie I've spent a lot time reviewing how I've treated you over the years and to be honest I didn't like what I saw. Don't get me wrong you were never an easy child the way you behaved and how you preferred playing. But when I look back I think it was because you just didn't behave as I expected you to, you weren't like the other children and that unnerved me and made me talk with the other mothers. I should have let you make your own decisions but I suppose I was so ingrained with how you always did the exact opposite to what I wanted that somewhere along the way I lost touch with who you were. I'm sorry"  
I didn't know what to say to that, hell she'd never spoken so calmly to me before and had never ever apologized. Aliens, yeah aliens must have taken over her body; that was the only explanation.

"I wanted you to be like other peoples daughters, and now, I don't know why I thought that. You're pretty and bright and full of life, no one has the right to change that"  
"Mum, I don't know what to say"  
"Just that you'll give me another chance. I won't ever be disappointed with you again"  
"Thanks Mum. How did this happen, I mean why the change of heart?"  
"I suddenly realized that I was losing you and it was all because I listened to what other people were saying and not to you"

"So what are you saying Mum?"  
"I love you Stephanie, always have, but I now know that you need to mold your life to how you want it, okay maybe sometimes I might not like it, and I won't say that I won't question what you're doing but I'll never stop you or force you to change"  
"So no more pushing me to get married or have kids?"  
"No, I'd like to see it, but only you will know who that is, not me"

I know I had tears in my eyes as I listened and fully understood what she was saying, I felt so happy that my Mum was at the point of understanding me, even if it had taken her most of my life. I knew she'd changed, changed how she saw me anyway, she still doted on Val and her girls the same and complained about the quality of the cake. As we sat and finished our coffee she got serious again.

"All I ask of you is to give me time, I have a lot of bad habits to break"  
"I will Mum, I love you too"  
We agreed to meet next week in the same place at the same time, that way she felt we could build up our relationship before trying it out at home, I agreed, at home she was in charge and I could see it would be hard for her. Outside she went one way and I went the other still thinking through what she'd said to me. I wasn't looking where I was going, I admit that, but when someone stopped in front of me and wouldn't let me pass I nearly had a heart attack when I saw it was Morelli.

"Cupcake, pleased I bumped in to you"  
"What are you doing here?"  
"Looking at you, you look different Cupcake"  
"Leave me alone Joe"  
"Not happening Cupcake, you became mine when you were five years old and then again at sixteen"

"How did you find me?"  
"Once I got rid of those thugs who were following me I followed your mother"  
I tried to side step him but he wouldn't let me past so I hit the panic button on my watch, I really didn't want Ranger facing off Morelli in the middle of the street, I wouldn't cope if Ranger did something and he was arrested. I saw shock on Morelli's face and he stepped back from me, and then I heard the safety catch from a gun behind me. Shit now what.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

RPOV

As time passed by I was feeling optimistic about the meeting Steph was having with her mother. Her father had phoned me earlier in the morning to express to me how he felt that Steph's mother had changed and for the better, so I felt calmer about this meeting than I had done last night. Last night, hell I could get turned on all over again with memories from the night we'd spent together. What started as cuddling on the couch soon moved to kissing and then to hands seeking out one another, before I lifted her to the bedroom. My sole intent had been to relax her and pleasure her but she would have none of that and came up with some intriguing positions so that there was no pressure on my ribs. Hell what she could do to me was way beyond any fantasy. This morning she was still on a high and looked beautiful as she walked away from the car, carrying herself with a new found confidence.

I was still remembering her touch and the sounds she'd made and almost jumped when her alert from the panic button went off, shit what the hell had happened, had her mother been playing her father into a false sense of security just so she could get near to Steph? I was out of the car quickly dodging other people on the sidewalk when my heart went into hyper drive. Stood in the center of a gawking crowd was Steph with Morelli blocking her way, what the hell did he think he was doing? I heard some gasps from a few women and as I moved closer I could now see why. Stood behind Steph was her mother and in her hands was what looked like Steph's grandmother's gun. Shit was her mother holding Steph at gunpoint for Morelli? As I came closer Steph saw me and quickly turned around, shock evident on her face when she also saw her mother.

"Stephanie stand behind me"  
I saw Steph hesitate but then she moved behind her mother, I was now right behind Morelli and was waiting in case he pulled a gun.

"I'm making a citizens arrest, you, you piece of scum have finished with how you treat my daughter"  
"Come on Mrs. Plum we agreed I was good for her, I'd give her a home and children"  
"I wouldn't let a dog near you, you're just like your father, a bully and a brute who terrorizes women"  
"Mrs. Plum put the gun down"  
I could see Morelli was getting annoyed, especially with everyone watching and listening, I saw his hand go to his belt sure he was going for a gun.

"You touch that gun Morelli and make my day"  
I think we were all surprised by what she'd said, hell she must have seen him and guessed what he thought of doing.

"Mrs. Plum you'll be the one arrested for pointing a gun at a police officer"  
"Aint no police officer here except those in that patrol car arriving now"

I was in a bit of dilemma now, I didn't want to be too close to Morelli in case Mrs. Plum took a shot at him, hell none of the women in that family were that good a shot. As I moved to his right he stupidly went for his gun and I was ready to disarm him when I was deafened by a shot ringing in my ears. Morelli looked down at his arm that was hanging limp next to his body, the gun falling to the floor.

"Just because Stephanie is like her Grandmother and can't shoot don't assume I can't"  
The crowds parted for a police car to pull over, Mrs. Plum handed her gun over and started to talk to the police and when more police arrived witnesses were keen to give statements. Me, I watched Morelli as he tried to turn and walk away.

"Going somewhere Morelli?"  
His face went pale when he saw me and he stopped where he was.

"Morelli if I ever see you again I promise that you will disappear and even your own mother won't recognize you to ID the body if it ever turned up"  
The police were quick to cuff Morelli, though they'd taken the gun from Mrs. Plum, Steph was still transfixed with what had happened, but seeing me clearly, I saw her run toward me, holding out my arms to catch her.

"You okay Babe?"  
"I can't believe what just happened"  
"Let's go over to your mother, she may need a bit of support after that"  
Mrs. Plum watched as we walked toward her, my arm around Steph's shoulder and hers around my waist and as we approached I saw the corners of her mouth tip up.

"Mum are you okay?"  
"I'm fine Stephanie, no way was he getting close to you"  
"Ellen, Ellen, what the hell happened?"  
"Frank, you didn't need to be here"  
"What's with all of the police?"  
"Oh just making sure Morelli keeps away from our daughter. Now Frank didn't you promise to take me to the afternoon showing of that new film?"  
She actually winked at us as she turned her husband around and walked away from us, okay maybe Frank was right maybe she had seen the light, the light that was her daughter.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

SPOV

I felt as though I was in a dream as we drove back to Rangeman, a good dream for once, and hopefully one with a happy ending. I felt elated with the outcome of the meeting with my Mum, okay not with Morelli turning up, but from the way my Mum had spoken with me in the café and how she had faced off Morelli in the street. I felt for the first time in forever that we really were making headway on our relationship. As we parked and Ranger opened the door for me he stopped me and with his hands on my face looked into my eyes.

"Are you okay, you're awfully quiet?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking how happy I feel about how things went with my Mum"  
"Good, I just hope they throw the book at Morelli"

Yeah, so did I, because to be honest if Ranger ever came across him I'm sure he would do him bodily harm and I didn't want Ranger to be carrying another death on his soul, nor would I want him arrested for it. We made our way up in the lift with me carrying on up to seven where I changed out of my dress back into a Rangeman uniform. To be honest I had no idea what to do with myself, the reports for Reece had been written and sent, and as far as I knew all the bad guys had been found and dealt with. I went down to five intent on doing something productive and found myself sat in front of a computer doing some searches that had somehow made their way into my in box. I felt that Ranger was close by and as I looked up I saw him approaching me and smiled.

"Babe would you let me take you out tonight, dinner and dancing?"  
"Yeah I'd like that"  
"Babe please don't be annoyed with me but would wear something special for me?"  
I knew that him asking that meant a lot, that he was asking me was important but I also saw how nervous he was waiting for my answer. I had to start and allow him to do things for me. He wasn't trying to control me like Morelli had, he was trying to please me.

"Okay, I'll do that"  
I saw the relief wash over his face and was pleased with how I had handled that decision.

"I'll pick you up from seven at 7 o'clock"

Wow he was trying to make it feel like a date, how cute was that.

"Babe I am not cute"  
I laughed at his retreating back and went back to finish my last search surprised that it was already close to 5. Once in the apartment I went straight into the bathroom to shower and make sure I was shaved and moisturized before heading into the bedroom to see what Ranger wanted me to wear. I froze when I saw the dress that he must have laid out on the bed ready for me to wear. It was the blue dress that I'd tried on in the shop in Washington, no wonder he was nervous because that was before I'd told him how Morelli had tried to manipulate what I should wear. Tears came to my eyes, happy tears because I knew he had bought the dress because I had liked it and obviously he did as well.

I was stood in front of the full length mirror when I felt the tingle shoot up my neck and through the reflection, I could see Ranger stood in the doorway. He walked up behind me and drew me back into his chest resting his hands across my waist and looking at me and our reflection.

"You look beautiful Babe"  
"I still feel like Julia Roberts"  
"Well if I'm supposed to be Richard Geere then I'd better sweep you away from here"  
"Oh you're far more handsome than he is"  
And he was, dressed in a dark grey designer suit that hugged his frame with his hair loose to his collar and the white of his shirt contrasting against his beautiful skin. In fact, as I kissed him down the back of his neck, I thought maybe dinner and dancing were overrated compared to what I was feeling and expressed that with a low deep moan that went straight south.

"Oh no you don't, I have plans for tonight"

I sighed in disappointment as he pulled away and picked up the shawl, I'd laid on the bed, holding it open to drape around my shoulders. The slightest touch from him was sending me crazy and I'm sure he knew it because all he did in the lift to the garage was nuzzle at my neck and run his hands up and down the skin on my arms. Of course he chose the Turbo to add to the state I was already in and once we were on the road and motoring I had to stop myself from self combusting. The restaurant he took me to was north of Trenton set back from the road with a short driveway to reach the entrance. Of course there was valet parking and of course Ranger tipped him well and then with his hand at the small of my back we were being led inside. I have to say the place oozed charm and opulence, it was unusually quiet for a restaurant, no sound of chatter or people eating and once we were led further inside, I could see why. It wasn't a dining area as such, instead there were closed off booths offering privacy and once inside a booth it was peaceful with only the quiet sound of music in the background. The table was set for two people with a quarter round seat allowing the opportunity for intimacy. We chose the meals that we wanted to a small but charming waiter and then Ranger proceeded to pour us each a glass of wine from the bottle already on the table. The booth took up a large area that had me wondering why, that was until Ranger pressed a control on the table and took my hand pulling me from my seat. The volume of the music increased and I was pulled into his arms and led into a dance. Man he could move, so with his arms around me I followed his moves keeping our bodies close together. It was like making love while dancing, our bodies in perfect sync with each other. If I'd been aroused before then it was nothing to what I felt now but I was pleased when we returned to our seats that Ranger was in the same state as me. His eyes were almost black and I noticed how he had to adjust himself before sitting down. Between the starter and main course we danced and then after the main meal we were again dancing when Ranger stopped and looked down at me, his face was different somehow and I realized I was seeing him, really seeing him, every emotion seemed to be on display and it took my breath away.

"Babe I never thought I'd feel like this, but you are the one responsible for that. Marry me, let me be the one with you forever, let me make our someday a reality"

I watched as he pulled a ring from his pocket, the way it reflected the light, and then looked up into his eyes. Did I see a hint of concern there, he didn't need to be worried, he was everything to me, so as I grazed my lips to his whispered "Forever" and then felt the ring being pushed onto my finger. I didn't get a chance to really look down at it because the taste of Ranger as he deepened the kiss took my breath away.

"We need to leave Babe and continue our celebration back home"  
I couldn't agree more so that's what we did, celebrated together in the age old union that was not only very enjoyable but had the effect of deepening my love for him, if that was possible.

Epilogue

RPOV

As I woke, I had to pull Steph closer to me just to be sure that the night before hadn't been a dream. The way she had looked last night in that deep blue dress had me hardening just from the view. The dress was everything I remembered as it shimmered when she moved, with one strap over her shoulder accentuating the shape of her body to her waist and then hugging her hips before the material swirled out. The evening was everything I'd hoped for as we ate and danced, and I knew it was the right time to propose to her. Hell, I was so nervous, I don't know why, maybe because I had taken for granted that she would say yes and with Steph I knew better than to assume anything about what she might do. As I looked at the ring now on her finger, I felt a contentment I'd never had before settle through me. I loved her more than anything else in the world and she was with me, affirming our love for each other with actions as well as words. I felt her stirring as she laid across me and looked down into her deep blue eyes, hell she looked so sexy when she first woke it took all my control not to ravage her again but I knew she was slightly sore from our lovemaking during the night and to be honest I could feel twinges across my ribs.

"Morning Babe"  
"Is it morning already?"  
"Yeah, we need to get up. Reece is coming here for lunch"  
"Reece, is he okay to leave the hospital?"  
"He said so, he doesn't like being in those places so he's calling here before he heads back to Washington"  
I watched as she thought about that, not really knowing what she was trying to work but for once I was too slow to catch her and ask before she'd dashed for the bathroom. As I heard the shower going, I decided to leave her alone so with jogging bottoms on I went into the kitchen to sort out some breakfast and coffee for us. I watched as she came into the kitchen area, surprised when she was wearing a full Rangeman uniform, what the hell was going through her mind?

"Babe?"

"Yeah?"

"What're you thinking?"  
I knew immediately when her lip caught in her teeth and she looked down at the floor that she was worried what to say. I waited, sure that sooner or later she would talk, that was something so predictable about her, something I loved about her.

"He won't make you go away again will he?"  
As she looked up I could see a real fear in her eyes.

"No, remember he said he'd mark my file as retired, no way am I leaving you now"  
I watched as her eyes came to mine, seeing relief flood across her face, hell she was still so vulnerable and I would need to do everything possible to build her confidence back. Once breakfast was finished we both went down to my office on five and each of us re read the report that we'd sent through to Reece, I just hoped he'd acted on the recommendations I'd made, but those were between him and me, I didn't want to get Steph's hopes up in case he couldn't or wouldn't concede to them. As lunch time approached Ella came in to set up food for us, though I did have to keep Steph from having a nosey under the lids, knowing Ella there would be things to suit all of us. What surprised me though was that Ella hadn't noticed the ring that Steph was wearing, maybe people weren't as observant as I thought. My phone went off telling me Reece was on his way up so with my arm round Steph we left the office to meet the lift.

"Ranger, Stephanie you look radiant"  
"Thank you Reece, how are you feeling?"  
"Better, I get tired easily so I want to be back home and then I can relax"  
By now we were back in my office so we took seats around the table, Reece looked relaxed as Steph now looked anxious.

"Okay, I think I need to fill you in then we can enjoy our lunch together"  
I nodded my head, Reece wasn't stupid, he could see how nervous Steph was and even she seemed to have forgotten about eating.

"As soon as I could I called in a team to go through that farm, collect evidence and then using your input and their findings can confirm this case closed. I'm sorry about Roberts, I never saw him as a man who could so naïve, but what's done is done. I wasn't sure how to explain away the disappearance of Lina Perry, but no one was really interested in her, though there is a warrant out for her arrest. The evidence collected showed that Roberts, Nolan and Moreno were responsible for the kidnapping of women and running guns. We've chased the guns back to their origin and can safely say that there are now none unaccounted for. Their phones provided a lot of evidence and for your information it was Nolan who played the part of Julian Herchie, the witness, but Roberts covered that up. Now Morelli, that took some sorting out, he wasn't involved in any of their business, but he knew you'd be there at your apartment when he shot you Stephanie, so the prosecutor is charging him with attempted murder. With him trying to get his hands on you and throwing an explosive device into the Rangeman garage I'd say he'll be lucky to see the light of day any time soon"

I watched Steph's face as he said that, pleased to see a look of relief, and then sat back as she started to speak.

"So the case is closed?"  
"It is, with an excellent outcome"  
"So, will you, are you"  
"I have Ranger's papers here for him to sign"  
"Oh!"

"For heavens sake Stephanie, relax, they're needed to confirm him as being retired from further contractual work"  
I saw the smile spread across her face and took the papers to read them through, they would need to go to my lawyer before I sent them back to Reece, but that wouldn't take too long. I watched as Steph got up and went over to the food and she lifted the domes from the plates and stood staring at them.

"Babe, what's wrong?"  
"They're empty, well empty of food. There's a note saying the food is in the conference room"  
I had no idea why Ella had done that; I know I asked her to provide some lunch here for the three of us. I was aware of Reece getting up and as he walked to the door, turning as though waiting for us.

"Come on Stephanie, I'm hungry"

I followed Steph through the door and down to the conference room with Reece walking next to me, as we approached the door he indicated for me to go in with Steph first. The room was quiet and in darkness until the door opened and then we were hit with a barrage of noise. Steph stopped just looking around the room a smile growing on her face as my men started to approach her, hugging her and kissing her, while others shook my hand and slapped me on the back. Across one wall in large blue letters were mine and Stephanie's name, "Stephanie and Carlos, congratulations" I caught Steph's eye as she looked over to me and shrugged my shoulders trying to say that it had nothing to do with me. How the room managed to accommodate so many people I had no idea, though Rangemen were coming in and leaving no doubt taking time out from working. Connie and Lula were there along with Mary Lou and her father and mother, my two sisters and even my parents. Quinn, Kai and Seth were mingling with my men who were all looking a little too smug for their own good. What did surprise me were the presence of the three women we'd rescued from the Keys and their parents. I pushed my way through the crowd until I was where I needed to be, next to my Babe with my arms wrapped around us.

"How?"  
"No idea, but I'm sure Ella will be in the middle of this"  
"But to get the families down from New York?"  
"Believe me if you need anything planned Ella is unstoppable"

"Wow, this is a perfect end to a perfect day"  
"Yeah but maybe we could get Ella to plan our next big day"  
I turned her in my arms and looked into her eyes, yeah I wanted to take the next step with her and what better way than having her as my wife.


End file.
